Sandy prairie remnants; openings in oak and jack pine savanna; edges of forests, roads, and railroads.

The texture of the pubescence is sufficiently different from that of L. caroliniense to enable an experienced person to separate the two by merely “petting” the foliage; that of L. caroliniense is decidedly rough. The flower color tends to be deeper (more orange) in L. canescens. Both this species and L. caroliniense (as well as some others) have a pigment in their sap, especially in the sturdy taproot, which yields a strong purple-red dye.

See ecological notes under Lithospemus caroliniense.