beargrass

species: Xerophyllum tenax

common name: beargrass

family: Melanthiaceae

where & when encountered: Glacier NP, Montana - 1996

Visiting a friend in Glacier National Park, these plants were pointed out to me along a trail that went through bear territory. I thought maybe that the bears ate the grass - hence the name - but no. According to the National Park Service, other animals do eat it (deer, elk, goats and bighorn sheep), but the bears use it for "denning material".