Bear's foot is a native herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae (daisy) family that can be found in all areas of NC. It is native to eastern and central USA although it is becoming rare in some states. It can be found growing at woodland edges, meadows, along streams, and open woods. The large lobed leaves cup the stem giving it the common name of hairy leafcup and the shape of the leaf gives it the name of bear's foot. In mid-summer into early fall, it produces many yellow flower heads that attract several types of pollinators. This plant is adaptable to different well-drained soil types in sun to partial shade. As it can reach 3-8 feet tall, use it in the back of the border, along a fence or naturalized in a woodland or meadow setting. It is easy to grow, doesn't spread aggressively and is adaptable. Due to the height and hollow stems, staking may be helpful to prevent the stems from bending in strong winds. Do not cut the plant down for winter as native bees will over-winter in the hollow stems. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Sheath
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Deltoid; Ovate; Palmatifid
Leaf margin
Lobed; Serrate
Leaf feel
Rough
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, > 6 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Triangular or ovate opposite leaves form a small cup around the long stems, hence the name Leafcup. The leaves are palmately lobed, green, lighter below with fine hairs scattered on both leaf surfaces. Leaves are 4 to 12 in long and wide with a prominent midrib, toothed and gland-dotted.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Head; Panicle
Flower shape
Radial
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Yellow flower heads are in clusters. Each flower head has 7-13 yellow ray flowers and 40-80 tubular staminate yellow disc flowers. Blooms June through Sept.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Reddish-brown oval to round ribbed achene
Stem color
Green; Purple/Lavender
Stem detail
Green ribbed stems are hollow and may be mottled with purple. May or may not have hairs
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Central and southeastern U.S.A., Mexico
Distribution
AL , AR , DC , DE , FL , GA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MD , MI , MO , MS , NC , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , SC , TN , TX , VA , WV
Wildlife value
Attracts many pollinators and several birds will eat the seeds. Bees make winter nests in the hollow stems.