Xerophyllum tenax: beargrass, Indian basket grass, Squaw-grass, soap-grass, Quip-Quip, bear grass, bear-grass, plant information for growing and its use in flower arranging, basket making, and weaving..

In southern Oregon it is a useful indicator of cool summer soil temperatures In the Cascade Mountains of Oregon beargrass is an indicator of cold and dry forest sites.

Beargrass flower stalks are a delicacy for deer and elk and are eaten by other big game animals as well. Elk eat beargrass during early summer in Montana.  Thick mats of beargrass and sedge  provide excellent feeding sites for pocket gophers and other rodents. Sometimes grizzly bears use beargrass leaves as nesting material in their winter dens.
Characteristics
Beargrass is a perennial, evergreen herb from the lily family with basal leaves that form dense clumps or tussocks . The linear leaves arise from a short, woody rhizome and are scabrous, tough, and wiry. If
pulled or stepped on, the grasslike leaves easily slide out of their sheaths. Any particular plant may not bloom for several years but when it does it will produce a leafy flowering stalk that may be up to 6 feet  tall with numerous small white flowers. The sequence of bloom is from the lowest flowers to the upper flowers resulting in a knob of tight buds on top of the flower cluster .Colonies of beargrass tend to bloom in 5- to 7-year cycles, possibly when environmental conditions are right 

History:
Native Americans in the Rocky Mountain region traded this plant to tribes from other areas. Eastern prairie tribes used the boiled roots for hair tonic and as a treatment for sprains. Coastal tribes bleach and dye the leaves for decorative designs woven into baskets and Southwest tribes use it in basketweaving. New beargrass leaves produced the first year after a fire are preferred for basket weaving because they are stronger, thinner, and more pliable.In recent years florists have discovered that beargrass leaves make sturdy long-lasting greens, and some National Forests are issuing permits for beargrass
harvesting  Beargrass rhizomes may be toxic to people 

In your garden:
You can water beargrass too much; . Early in spring (late winter) they may rot, esp if they suffered freezing damage, if they are too wet. Once they begin their seasonal growth they can handle a lot of water, in truly 'well-drained' soil. They need the same kind of situation that many lilies prefer... kind of gritty & open, with a good layer of humus on top. 
Don't feed them any concentrated fert product... a little top- dress, with compost, maybe mixed with an acid mulch, like tree needles.