Bearsfoot

Common Names

Bear's Foot, Hairy Leafcup, Yellow Flower Leafcup, Yellow Leafcup

Summary

Smallanthus uvedalia, commonly known as Bear’s-foot or Hairy Leafcup, is a tall, coarse perennial in the Asteraceae native to North America, especially the eastern United States, reaching about 3–8 feet in height with stout hollow stems and large opposite leaves that are palmately lobed, giving a bear-foot appearance, with yellow flower heads consisting of 7–13 ray florets surrounding 40–80 disc florets, blooming from July to September and attracting bees and butterflies, in cultivation it prefers full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soils, tolerates a range of textures from clay to loam, suitable for back borders, woodland edges, and naturalized areas, its tall habit may require staking in windy sites, propagation can be by division (best in early spring) or by seeds, hardiness generally falls within USDA zones 5–9, ethnobotanical uses include root tinctures as a stimulant and laxative and hair-tonic applications, historically roots have been used to treat rheumatism, swellings, and skin sores

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

3-10 feet

Spread

4-14 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 6a-9b

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full Sun, tolerates partial sun to partial shade, sources describe Smallanthus uvedalia as a generalist with no strong preference for light

Soil Type

No single ideal soil type; tolerates a broad range from base-rich calcareous and damp, deep, rich, well-drained soils to clay, loam, silt, or sand, with soils that remain moist in summer.

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

Slightly acidic to mildly alkaline soils

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Time

Summer (June–September)

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Summer and Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Basal cuttings, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, and birds