Whorled tickseed is a popular herbaceous perennial in the sunflower family. Its natural habitat is in the east-central United States, where it grows in dense bushy clumps up to 1 m tall and about 1 m wide. The species spreads laterally by rhizomes.
The daisy-like flower heads are up to 5 cm across, and both the disc florets and ray florets are bright yellow. The flowers are produced abundantly in clusters from midsummer to fall. The blossoms are held high above the foliage on slender stems. They attract bees, butterflies and other pollinating insect.