Bear Grass

On our recent hiking trip to Silver Star Mountain in Washington, the Bear Grass (Xerophyllum tenax) was the "star" of the wildflower show! From the clearing at the trailhead (2950 ft), to the summit (4390 ft), the flowering Bear Grass was on display from just starting to bloom to full bloom. It was quite a sight! The other flowers were exceptional as well, but these are so unusual looking, they really got our attention! (7/7/2013). Other common names are Squaw Grass, Elk Grass, Turkey Beard, Bear Lily, and Pink Lily.

In June of 1806, Meriwether Lewis collected a sample of blooming Bear Grass in the Bitterroot Mountains. Lewis and Clark had seen it before, without the blooms, along the way. Native Americans were seen with loads of the grassy leaves in their canoes to be used in trade. Later, in Ft. Clatsop, Lewis and Clark learned that the conical hats worn by tribes in that area were made of the Bear Grass leaves. They were both impressed and made note of these hats in their journals. They also purchased quiet a number of the hats to wear!

The Bear Grass roots, leaves, flowers, and seeds provide food for many animals throughout the year. Mountain goats eat the tough, dry leaves in winter; bears eat the tender shoots in spring. Bear Grass does not bloom every year, and up to 10 years may elapse between blooms.

Bear Grass is native to the Northwest and is an important park of "fire ecology." Its rhizomes survive the fires and is often the first plant to bloom after a fire.