Bloomipedia
Bear's foot (Smallanthus uvedalia)
Photo: David Gorsline via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Bear's foot

Smallanthus uvedalia

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
5of our state lists
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.

  • 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–October. iNaturalist
  • In Georgia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,343 research-grade sightings of it in Tennessee, ranking #85 among the 112 flowers on our Tennessee list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,100 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #82 among the 111 flowers on our Georgia list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 724 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #78 among the 111 flowers on our Alabama list. iNaturalist

Bear's foot gift ideas

Handmade bear's foot gifts from independent makers.

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (782 records)
Bloom time in each of our 5 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
Tennessee–July–October1,343
GeorgiaNativeJune–September1,100
Alabama–June–September724
South CarolinaNativeMay–November582
Arkansas–July–September566

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.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.

More Tennessee flowers

Sources