Xerophyllum tenax aka Bear Grass

Xerophyllum tenax, also known as bear grass, soap grass, quip-quip, squaw grass, and Indian basket grass, is a North American plant in the corn lily family. This upright, rhizomatous perennial can reach heights of up to 75cm and forms clumps of stiff, grass-like leaves. The leaves are mid-green above, glaucous blue-green beneath, and have rough margins. During the summer, Xerophyllum tenax produces dense clusters of small, funnel-shaped flowers in white to cream colors, making them suitable for cutting. The plant features six tepals and six stamens borne in a terminal raceme. Growing in bunches, the leaves wrap around and extend from a small stem at ground level. They are dull olive green, toothed along the edges, and measure 30-100 cm in length and 2-6 mm in width. The slightly fragrant white flowers emerge from a tall stalk that shoots up from the base, forming an upright club-like structure. Xerophyllum tenax is commonly found in subalpine meadows and coastal mountains from British Columbia to California, and east to Wyoming. It can also be spotted in the low ground of the California coastal fog belt, reaching as far south as Monterey County. This plant is particularly abundant in the Olympic Peninsula, Cascades, northern Sierra Nevada, and Rockies regions.