Flower profile

Elf orpine

Sedum smallii

Elf orpine (Sedum smallii) is a flowering plant in the Crassulaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–April across the U.S.

Native to Georgia

Elf orpine is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Georgia it's most often seen in bloom in March–April.

6states where USDA records it

1,669GA sightings*

2,475U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Georgia

Quick look

Sedum smallii, synonym Diamorpha smallii, is a species of plants in the family Crassulaceae. It is known as elf orpine and Small's stonecrop. As Diamorpha smallii it was considered to be the only species in the genus Diamorpha.
From Wikipedia's article Sedum smallii, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Crassulaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 6 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Georgia. ^NatureServe
In Georgia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,669 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #43 among the 183 flowers on our Georgia list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Georgia, most flowering sightings come in March–April.

Flowering records by month in Georgia (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (62 records)

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
Georgia: Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Georgia. ^{Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: TN (S1), VA (S1). (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 page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Sedum album (“Hardy Baby Tears”), as non-toxic to dogs and cats. That doesn't tell us about this species, so keep pets away to be safe. ^ASPCA

🌿 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 elf orpine in 6 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia.

Georgia counties with USDA records: Barrow, Butts, Carroll, Chattooga, Clarke, Cobb, Columbia, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Elbert, Fayette, Fulton, Greene, Gwinnett, Hall, Hancock, Harris, Heard, Henry, Jackson, McDuffie, Meriwether, Muscogee, Newton, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pike, Putnam, Rockdale, Spalding, Stephens, Troup, Upson, Walker, Walton, Warren, Wilkes.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Diamorpha cymosa, Sedum cymosum.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 65 counties across 6 states; the most are in Georgia (38), North Carolina (9), Tennessee (7).

Other Sedum on Bloomipedia (5): Woodland stonecrop, Lanceleaf stonecrop, Broad-leaved stonecrop, Widow's-cross, Orpine stonecrop.

More from the Crassulaceae family (8 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Chalk dudleya, Western roseroot, Queen's crown.

More Georgia flowers

American pokeweed

Phytolacca americana

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🌼 Blooms in GA: June–August

American beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in GA: June–July

Little brown jugs

Asarum arifolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in GA: March–May

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile DISM3.
iNaturalist, Sedum smallii: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Sedum smallii (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, Sedum smallii (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
Photo: Celeste Ray via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.