Bear’s Foot

Polymnia uvedalia

Bear’s Foot grows from New York to Central Florida and west to Texas. It is found along the edge of forests and can range from two feet to six feet in height. The leaves are normally eight to 12 inches long with deep lobes and short hairs. It is not irritating.

I have found this plant as far south as Merritt Island near Cocoa Beach. It was on the edge of the road in dry sandy soil with hammock trees providing part shade. In our yard it grows well in deep shade and full sun. It does not tolerate standing water for long and will wilt within a couple of days when flooded.

The flowers are yellow and are attractive to both butterflies and bees. We had one bumblebee for a few days on a plant in the spring of 2018. This was the first time we had seen a bumblebee in South Florida for almost ten years.

The oval seeds are lentil size. They are produced under the ray flowers and not the disc flowers as in Sunflowers. It seems that birds and other creatures spread these seeds to new areas of the yard where they are often welcomed by us.

Personally, I like to grow this perennial spreading wildflower under tall trees like oaks and pines. It can be cut back to six inches once or twice a year if you want to keep it lower. In South Florida it has leaves and flowers year round.

A nice mix for the shade includes Bear’s Foot, Native Ferns, Grasses, Wild Coffee, Marlberry, Beauty Berry, White Crownbeard, Ironweed, Saw Palmetto and other shade tolerant plants. In full sun, anything goes, but remember that it needs some room to spread out.

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