# bear's foot (*Smallanthus uvedalia*) Bear's foot is a fun plant with big, soft leaves that look like a bear's paw! It grows in shady places and is loved by many little critters in the forest. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Forests ![bear's foot](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Smallanthus_uvedalius_flower.jpg&width=800) Photo: Brucewinter, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Smallanthus_uvedalius_flower.jpg) ## Appearance The bear's foot has distinctively large, broad, and deeply lobed leaves that often resemble a bear's paw. Its sturdy stems are frequently purplish-red, supporting bright yellow, daisy-like flowers with 8-10 ray florets that appear in clusters. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Asterales - **Family:** Asteraceae - **Genus:** Smallanthus ## Interesting facts - Its giant leaves really do look like a bear's paw print! - Its seeds have tiny hooks that hitch rides on animals, helping them travel far! - Native Americans once used bear's foot for various traditional medicines. - This plant is a cousin to sunflowers and dandelions, all part of the daisy family! ## Special abilities - **Shady Sun Catcher:** Bear's foot has huge leaves that help it capture lots of sunlight, even in the dappled shade of the forest floor. - **Nature's Bug Spray:** Bear's foot produces special chemicals in its leaves to deter hungry insects and animals from eating them. - **Pollinator Beacon:** Its bright yellow flowers are like a colorful advertisement, attracting many different kinds of busy bees and butterflies. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-300 cm - **Spread:** 60-120 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-4 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen - **Pollinates:** common eastern bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — visits flowers for nectar - **Eaten by:** [white-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — browses its foliage ## Traits - [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants unless you know they are safe. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify bear's foot? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is bear's foot? 100-300 cm ### How wide does bear's foot spread? 60-120 cm ### How big are the flowers on bear's foot? 2-4 cm ### When does bear's foot bloom? Summer ### Is bear's foot edible? No ### Is bear's foot toxic? Mild ### What is bear's foot's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Marshall Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/marshall-forest) — Georgia, US · Forest - [Memphis Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/memphis-botanic-garden) — Tennessee, US · Botanical Garden - [Old Clinton Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/old-clinton-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Fort Foote Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-foote-park) — Maryland, US · National Park [View all places to see bear's foot](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/bears-foot) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Bear's Foot: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bears-foot)