Previous
Next
Steve's Photoblog
On an outing to Mount Rainier to shoot star trails.
@Marie LC: It's Bear Grass (Xerophyllum tenax) which looks like a grass but is actually closely related to lilies. It's found mainly in western North America. In Washington State, it's common on the Olympic Peninsula and in the Cascade Range.
@Amanda: It is tough and useful. According to Wikipedia, "This species was long used by Native Americans who wove it into baskets. Its fibrous leaves, which turn from green to white as they dry, are tough, durable, and easily dyed and manipulated into tight waterproof weaves." This probably accounts for one of its other common names, Indian basket grass.
@MARIANA: Spring comes very late up in the mountains. And then, it's winter. ;-)