Wild heliotrope (a.k.a. seaside heliotrope, salt heliotrope, monkey tail, quail plant) is native to and widely distributed in North and South America, and has naturalized elsewhere. It is sometimes considered a weed.

In California, this perennial herb usually grows in saline or alkaline soils, often in areas near a permanent or temporary source of water. It is often found in disturbed coastal sites.