Perennial, erect plants. Leaves lanceolate with short winged stalks, rough to touch top and bottom. Leaves alternate at the top, opposite lower down. Upper stem is sparsely hairy, lower stem with stiff hairs. Flowers to 70 mm diameter, with a yellow central disk, bracts linear and acute. Some plants with reddish stems, others with all-green stems.

Budd's Flora, and Flora of Alberta have difficult keys to distinguish between H. nuttallii and H. maximilianii. I identified this plant H. nuttallii based on the leaves. Budd's Flora, and Taxanomic Reminder for Recognizing Saskatchewan Plants say the leaves of H. maximilianii are narrowly lanceolate, usually folded lengthwise along the midrib, and are arched (recurved). I didn't see that with these plants. To me the leaves are not narrowly lanceolate, are not usually folded along the midrib, and are not arched.

Habitat is listed in Budd's Flora as moist meadows, slough margins, and wet roadsides. Listed as common in Checklist of the Vascular Plants of Saskatchewan.

Height listed in Budd's Flora from 100 to 300 cm. I measured plants to 150 cm tall.

Above photos August 20th, edge of a hillside fen, Crooked Lake Eco Sanctuary, about 200 km east of our home in Regina, SK.