The plant occurs statewide. Overall, the species ranges from British Columbia to Wisconsin, south to Oregon, Arizona, and Missouri at elevations up to 10,000 ft. Plants stand one to two feet tall. The smooth leaves are narrow and sometimes toothed near the tip. Bright yellow flower heads crowd about a dozen arcuate branches that form a roughly triangular cluster at the top of the plant.
Fruits are tiny achenes bearing bristles to aid transport by wind.
In North Dakota, this goldenrod grows best on dry native prairie where grazing is moderate or heavy. In more arid regions, plants may be more abundant where grazing is light. Many North American goldenrods have long been used for teas, foods, and medicines by the Amerindians. Prairie goldenrod is not mentioned in this regard, but likely has some of these useful properties. Each tiny flower head in prairie goldenrod has about fifteen to twenty-five flowers.