Flower profile
Common elephant's-foot
Elephantopus tomentosus
Common elephant's-foot is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Georgia it's most often seen in bloom in July–September.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Georgia
Quick look
Elephantopus tomentosus is a species of perennial flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the southeastern United States. It blooms from July to September.
- It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 14 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Georgia. NatureServe
- In Georgia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,553 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #45 among the 111 flowers on our Georgia list. iNaturalist
Common elephant's-foot gift ideas
Handmade common elephant's-foot gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Common elephant's-foot art print
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Common elephant's-foot greeting card
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Common elephant's-foot mug
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Common elephant's-foot earrings
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Common elephant's-foot embroidery pattern
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Common elephant's-foot sticker
When does it bloom?
In Georgia, most flowering sightings come in July–September.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- 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
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MD (S2). (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?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension
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.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records common elephant's-foot in 14 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia.
Georgia counties with USDA records: Baker, Bartow, Bibb, Clarke, Cobb, DeKalb, Elbert, Forsyth, Grady, Gwinnett, Habersham, Jackson, Jasper, Jones, Lincoln, Madison, McIntosh, Morgan, Newton, Oglethorpe, Pike, Rabun, Spalding, Thomas, Upson, Warren.
More Georgia flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ELTO2.
- iNaturalist, Elephantopus tomentosus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Elephantopus tomentosus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Elephantopus tomentosus (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Leila Dasher via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.