Grows well on woodland margins. This species is a sub-shrub, the woody stems often dying back to the base in severe winters.

The powdered seeds are used as a condiment for flavoring foodstuffs. An edible oil is obtained from the seed.

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse or cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in spring.

Grasslands, open hills, valleys; 1200-3200 m. Gansu, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan.