This species is considered rare in Rare Plants of Texas (Poole et al., 2007). As of 2009, there was only one New Mexico specimen in New Mexico herbaria. Bob Sivinski surveyed for this plant in New Mexico in 2010. He found it in eastern Eddy County from the Loco Hills south through the Los Medaños to the Texas border, then across almost all of the southern half of Lea County. It follows the shinnery oak to northeastern Lea County and into eastern Roosevelt County as far north as Portales. Since this can be a regionally abundant sunflower and ranges well over 100 miles, it is not a rare plant by the NMRPTC definition. Sivinski has deposited voucher specimens at the UNM herbarium.