Habitat:
Tread softly grows in dry, sandy soils, such as old fields, roadsides, disturbed sites, pine forests and dry, wooded areas.

Size/Form:
Tread softly is an erect, weedy perennial that grows to 3' tall and is covered with tiny, stinging hairs. The stem is stout and branches into a V-shape, with numerous branches.

Stem:
The stems of the plant are stout and sheathed in spiny, toxic hairs.

Leaves:
The leaves are simple, alternately arranged, and palmately-lobed with 3 to 5, deep, toothed lobes. Their shape is similar to that of a maple leaf. Whitish veins are evident on the dark green leaf surfaces, while the undersides and margins are covered with venomous, stinging hairs.

Fruit:
The fruit is a spiny, spherical, or cylindrical capsule with three chambers that open to release dark brown seeds. The pod-like capsules are covered with stinging hairs.