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Bear Grass (Xerophyllum tenax): Iconic Western Native for Fire-Adapted Landscapes

Overview

Bear Grass is a striking, evergreen perennial native to western North America. It forms a dense, fountain-like clump of tough, wiry, grass-like leaves 2-3 feet long. Every few years, it produces a spectacular, tall (4-6 foot) spike covered in creamy-white, fragrant flowers. Historically used by Native Americans for basketry.

Taxonomy & Nomenclature

Family:	Melanthiaceae
Genus:	Xerophyllum (zer-oh-FIL-um)
Species:	tenax (TEN-aks)

Cultivation & Uses

Full sun to part shade; well-drained, gritty soil. Drought-tolerant once established. Fire-adapted; flowering often stimulated by fire. Difficult to establish from nursery containers; best from seed. A magnificent specimen for rock gardens, dry meadows, and native plantings. Do not overwater.

Grasses and Bamboo: Blue Oat Grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens); Silver Banner Grass (Miscanthus sacchariflorus); Palm Grass (Setaria palmifolia); Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans); Fountain Grass 'Hameln' (Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'); Centipede Grass (Eremochloa ophiuroides): A Low-Maintenance, Acid-Loving Lawn Grass; Egyptian Grass (Dactyloctenium aegyptium): A Spreading Annual Grass with Crowfoot Seed Heads; Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea nana): Dwarf Australian Grasstree; Feather Grass (Stipa pennata): A European Steppe Grass with Silky, Flowing Awns; Liriope minor: Monkey Grass – Dwarf Lily Turf for Edging

Garden Articles

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Ribbon Grass 'Picta' (Phalaris arundinacea): A Variegated, Spreading Grass for Wet Sites

Quaking Grass (Briza media): A Delicate Grass with Trembling Heart-Shaped Seed Heads

Purple Love Grass (Eragrostis spectabilis): Cloud of Purple Haze in Late Summer

Australian Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea preissii): Majestic Trunked Xanthorrhoea

Narrow-leaved Cotton Grass (Eriophorum angustifolium): White Fluffy Heads in Bogs

Plants

Bottlebrush Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea macronema): Slender Australian Grasstree

Himalayan Fairy Grass (Miscanthus nepalensis): A Delicate, Late-Blooming Grass from the Himalayas

Purple Moor Grass (Molinia caerulea): A Native European Grass with Airy Purple Panicles

Prairie Cordgrass (Spartina pectinata): A Tall, Native Wetland Grass for Restoration

Scribner's Rosette Grass (Dichanthelium oligosanthes var. scribnerianum)

Teddy Bear Bamboo (Dendrocalamus brandisii)

Parry's Nolina (Nolina parryi)