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Xerophyllum tenax

Beargrass

At a Glance: Forms a tall grass-like clump of tough leaves topped by a large dense cluster of white flowers.

Height: 3-5 feet (1-1.5 meters).
Growth Form: Herb.
Leaves: Grass-like, in large basal clumps; margins are finely toothed (barbed); size: to 90 cm long, 1.5-4 mm wide; color: green.
Flowers: Tiny, white, fragrant flowers on long stalks in a showy pyramidal terminal cluster on a long stem; 6 petal-like sepals and stamens; flowers irregularly every few years; stem dies after fruiting.
Flowering Period: May, June, July, August.
Fruits: Only a few small seeds per capsule; shape: oval 3-lobed capsule; size: 6 mm long.


Photo © 2004, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status:	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
Tolerates a wide range of soils.
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover	Mammals: Bears eat the fleshy leaf bases in springtime; also forage for other mammals, large and small, including elk and mountain goat.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Material Uses: Native peoples made baskets, hats and capes with the leaves. They were especially used for fine overlapping, trimming, and ornamentation. Leaves were a valuable trade item.
Landscape Uses: Does not flower every year.
Ecological Importance: Dominates the forest under story in many Cascade sub-alpine forests; wildfire triggers flowering.

Name Info: Xerophyllum means dry leaves, tenax means tough for the usefulness of the leaves in clothes and basket making.

Suggested References

Cooke, S.S. A Field Guide to the Common Wetland Plants of Western Washington and Northwetern Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society and Washington Native Plant Society. Page 221.
Kruckeberg, A.R. 1996. 2nd ed. Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 149.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 112.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.