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Bear grass on Highline Trail in Glacier National Park, MT
About this photograph
- Creator
- Margery H. Freeman
- Date created
- Unknown
- Location
- Glacier National Park, Montana
- License
- This photograph copyright ©2009. All Rights Reserved
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- Search LEARN NC for American Indians, bear grass, glacier, Glacier National Park, lily, Montana, MT, national parks, Northern Rocky Mountains, plants, Rocky Mountains, Waterton Lakes National Park, and Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.
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Bear grass on Highline Trail in Glacier National Park, Montana. The delicate, cream-colored flowers bloom in a dense mass shaped like a club. Bear grass, despite its name, is more closely related to lilies than to grass. It propagates by way of rhizomes, which are capable of surviving fire.
The park protects over one million acres of land in the Northern Rocky Mountains, from lakes and valleys formed by glaciers to forests, alpine meadows, and rugged peaks. It is known to Native Americans as the “Backbone of the World.” It is home to over 70 species of mammals and hosts 260 species of birds throughout the year. Its name comes from its glacier-carved scenery and the glaciers that remain today. The area was designated as the country’s 10th national park in 1910 by President Taft, which protected it from mining and homesteading. Glacier National Park and Waterton Lakes National Park, located just over the border in Canada, were designated the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park in 1932, which celebrates the peace between the two nations.
