Bear grass bonanza this year in Glacier, forests

So far, it’s been a banner year for bear grass in Glacier National Park. Bear grass is actually a member of the lily family. The plant is common to the Park, growing from the low elevations of West Glacier up to Logan Pass.

The white mass at the end of the stalk consists of hundreds of small blooming flowers.

The buds are often eaten by elk, deer and bighorn sheep. Bears don’t eat the plant, but they’ve been known to line their dens with it.

Mass blooms like what’s happening this year in Glacier Park occur every three to 10 years. The last large bear grass bloom of note was in the summer of 2009.

Native Americans wove the stalks and grass into hats and baskets with a weave so tight they were virtually waterproof.

The blooming should progress to higher elevations as snow melts. Right now, the flowers are at their peak in the West Glacier area.