Mixed conifer and hardwood forests, in headlands, high moors, upland bogs, peaty barrens, along sandy riverbanks, and on exposed rocky outcrops of the Canadian Shield. Common in abandoned pastures and clearcuts, and along roadsides. Tolerant of a wide range of temperature and rainfall. Most commonly associated with light, well-drained acidic soils. Soils generally have a high organic content but may be relatively low in available mineral nutrients.
Soils are often shallow and discontinuous.
Grows on loam, sandy loam, gravelly loam, and silt or clay loam developed from sandstone, shale, or glacial drift. Parent materials vary but include granite, quartzite, gneiss, shale, and sandstone pavement. Grows on acidic soils with pH ranging from 2.8 to 6.6 but reportedly thrives on soils with a pH of 4.2 to 5.2. Can survive at least short term exposure to acid rain with a pH of 2.5. Could increase in response to acid rain in boreal forests.