Beargrass. Nolina microcarpa, Asparagus Family ( Asparagaceae ), Beargrass. Also called: Sacahuista, Palmilla. We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on this page. We share images and information with Wikipedia. Nolina microcarpa is a species of flowering plant in the asparagus family known by the common names sacahuista and palmilla. Like other species of Nolina, it may be called beargrass. Beargrass is native to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States in Arizona and New Mexico. It does occur in the southwestern corner of Utah, where it has a limited distribution on Navajo Sandstone. Beargrass is variable in appearance. In general it is a large plant that grows in clumps up to about seven feet wide. It produces a rosette of many narrow leaves each up to 4 . 3 feet long but only about 0.47 inches wide. The grasslike leaf blades are thick, rough, and serrated. There is no above ground stem; the leaves grow from a woody underground caudex. When the plant flowers it produces a scape up to about 4.9 to 5.9 feet tall. The inflorescence is a panicle of greenish - yellow flowers with tiny white tepals. The species is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants; occasionally there are flowers with both the male and female parts functional. The fruit is a papery, three-sided capsule about 1/8 inch long and wide. It grows in dry habitats, such as desert grasslands, pinyon-juniper woodlands, and chaparral. It may grow alongside oaks, pines, and manzanitas. The plant resprouts from its caudex after its above ground parts dry out. Beargrass provides food for animals such as white-tailed deer. However, it is poisonous to sheep and goats, and less so to cattle. Native American people have eaten the fruit, used the stalks as a vegetable, and they have ground the seeds into a flour for bread. Can take full sun in Phoenix or Tucson. Quick Notes: Height: 3 - 6 feet tall with up to a spread of 6 to about 8 feet. Flowers: Its tiny flowers are greenish - yellow on terminal stalks. Flowering Time: Phoenix Arizona, Mid February. Leaves: The leaves are narrow, grasslike, with curly strings on the tips; very small teeth along the margins. Found: Said by the USDA to be native to the USA (AZ, NM, UT). Native to the Mexican States of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Nuevo Le�n, where it grows in open, rocky places in full sun. Hardiness: Hardy to about 0� F. USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 �C (0 �F) USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 �C (5 �F) USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 �C (10 �F) USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 �C (15 �F) USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 �C (20 �F) USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 �C (25 �F) USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 �C (30 �F) USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 �C (35 �F) USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 �C (40 �F) Soil pH requirements: 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline) 7.9 to 8.5 (alkaline) Sun Exposure: Full Sun Elevation: 3,000 - 6,500 feet, in Arizona. Will grow in gardens at lower elevations. Habitat: It grows well in sand, sandy loam. It needs good drainage and aeration. It is remarkably tolerant of alkali. A Xeriscape Landscape plant. Miscellaneous: Maintenance: Low. Photos Taken; Desert Botanical Garden of Phoenix Arizona, October 6, 2006. Then the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Near Tucson. April 19, 2008.