Flower profile
Elf orpine
Sedum smallii
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.
*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.
- 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 #41 among the 111 flowers on our Georgia list. iNaturalist
Elf orpine gift ideas
Handmade elf orpine 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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Elf orpine art print
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Elf orpine greeting card
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Elf orpine mug
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Elf orpine earrings
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Elf orpine embroidery pattern
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Elf orpine sticker
When does it bloom?
In Georgia, most flowering sightings come in March–April.
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?
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.
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.
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.
More Georgia flowers
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.