| Where the garden meets the wild | ||
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XEROPHYLLUM BEARGRASS Liliaceae (Lily family) / Melanthiaceae (Veratrum family) |
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| Return to Plants Index Bulbs Index | ||
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| Xerophyllum tenax in our garden. Photograph © Paige Woodward. | ||
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Photograph by Brother Alfred Brousseau, St. Mary's College of California |
Xerophyllum tenax
(Pursh) Nuttall. Beargrass, Indian basket-grass, Elk grass. Majestic
wands of white florets rise from dense clumps of wiry leaves. Gardeners
who see stands of this rhizomatous lily in the wild are stricken
with "I want!" The foliage, dark green on top, powdery blue-grey
beneath, is evergreen. Each clump takes several years to bloom, then dies,
leaving behind offsets to bloom in turn. Adapted to moist but
well drained mountain
slopes and open coniferous forest. Native to W North America, from
British Columbia to California and E to Alberta, Montana and Wyoming. Our
plants are from seeds wild-collected in British Columbia and Washington. Height
30-150 cm (1-5'). Zone 5. 2-year-old plant, bare-root. $6.00 |
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| This page was updated March 20, 2008 | ||