Rattlesnake Master - Eryngium yuccifolium

Eryngium yuccifolium, common name, Rattlesnake Master, is easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun. This plant produces a tap root so is best left undisturbed once it is established. Rattlesnake Master is an American native perennial and was a common plant in tall grass prairies. These plants feature a basal rosette of bristly edged foliage resembling yucca plants. Flower heads appear in branched clusters of greenish-white flowers subtended by whitish, pointed beasts on smooth, still stems rising to 3-4′ in height. Wonderful in naturalized areas planted with some of our native grasses and coneflowers.

Photo: Emerson Sapienza