Flower profile

Bear's foot

Smallanthus uvedalia

Bear's foot (Smallanthus uvedalia) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, blooming mostly June–September across the U.S.

Bear's foot is a flowering plant. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–September.

–states where USDA records it

5Bloomipedia state lists include it

11,122U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee

Quick look

Smallanthus uvedalia, known as hairy leafcup, bear's foot, and yellow flower leafcup, is a herbaceous perennial native to the Central and Eastern United States. It is a member of the family Asteraceae.
From Wikipedia's article Smallanthus uvedalia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
NatureServe lists it as native to Georgia and South Carolina. ^NatureServe
In Tennessee, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. ^iNaturalist
In Georgia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,343 research-grade sightings of it in Tennessee, ranking #87 among the 182 flowers on our Tennessee list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,100 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #86 among the 183 flowers on our Georgia list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 724 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #82 among the 167 flowers on our Alabama list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (782 records)

Bloom time in the 5 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Tennessee	–	July–August	1,343
Georgia	Native	June–August	1,100
Alabama	–	June–September	724
South Carolina	Native	few records (27)	582
Arkansas	–	few records (47)	566

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G4 Apparently secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Tennessee: Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe has no Tennessee rank for it. ^{TN rule 0400-06-02-.04}
Georgia: Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Georgia. ^{Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09}
Alabama: No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe has no Alabama rank for it.
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
Arkansas: No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe has no Arkansas rank for it.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: KS (S1), MI (S1), NJ (S1), NY (SH). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page)) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.