[The Lily Family in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington]

Bear Grass, Common Beargrass, Western Turkeybeard

Xerophyllum tenax

Synonyms: Helonias tenax, Xerophyllum douglasii

Inflorescence of Bear Grass, Common Beargrass, Western Turkeybeard: Xerophyllum tenax (Synonyms: Helonias tenax, Xerophyllum douglasii)

A close-up view of the inflorescence of bear grass as seen along the Grassy Knoll Trail #146, Gifford Pinchot National Forest.......May 15, 2015.

Inflorescence of Bear Grass, Common Beargrass, Western Turkeybeard: Xerophyllum tenax (Synonyms: Helonias tenax, Xerophyllum douglasii)The photo above shows a close-up view of the inflorescence of bear grass. The photo was taken of a plant high on the east side of Crofton Butte on the southern flanks of Mt. Adams on June 21, 2005.

Characteristics:

Bear grass is an attractive perennial wildflower, especially while in bloom. The leaves are in basal clumps. Individual leaves are tough and very long and linear, measuring from 15-60 cm long and from 1.5-4 mm wide. The thick stem can measure up to 150 cm high. Many thin leaves are found on the stems (See photo at right.), with these reduced in size upwards up the stem.

The attractive inflorescence of many white flowers is short and closely flowered at first, but elongates up to as much as 50 cm long late in bloom. The 6 white tepals are oblong in shape and measure from 6-8 mm long. The stamens are equal in length or longer than the tepals.

Habitat:

Bear grass may be found in moist meadows and in open woods in the mountains. It is found near sea level on the Olympic Peninsula and up to 7000' in the Rocky Mts.

Range:

Bear grass may be found from British Columbia south through the Cascade Mts. to California and east to the Rocky Mts. in Idaho and Montana. It is also found in the Olympic Mts.

In the Columbia River Gorge it may be found between the elevations of 400'-4600' from Silver Star Mt. east towards the Little White Salmon River.

Flowers of Bear Grass, Common Beargrass, Western Turkeybeard: Xerophyllum tenax (Synonyms: Helonias tenax, Xerophyllum douglasii)

The photo above shows a close-up view of the flowers of bear grass. The photo was taken of a plant high on the east side of Crofton Butte on the southern flanks of Mt. Adams on June 21, 2005.

Bear Grass, Common Beargrass, Western Turkeybeard: Xerophyllum tenax (Synonyms: Helonias tenax, Xerophyllum douglasii) - Bear Grass, Common Beargrass, Western Turkeybeard: Xerophyllum tenax (Synonyms: Helonias tenax, Xerophyllum douglasii)

Paul Slichter