Rattlesnake Master

The 2016 North Carolina Botanical Garden Wildflower of the Year, Eryngium yuccifolium (Zones 3–8), is a striking, architectural member of the southeastern tallgrass prairie. Its unique, sword-like silver foliage resembles a Yucca, making it an ideal choice for transitioning a native into a managed landscape. In mid-summer, it produces unique, globe-like white flower heads that provide a structural contrast to the softer forms of Monarda or Echinacea.

This species is recognized for its incredible ruggedness and unique aesthetic. E. yuccifolium is a premier Pollinator Magnet, attracting a massive diversity of beneficial insects, including the specialist Rattlesnake Master Borer Moth and various predatory wasps that provide natural pest control. 

Site Care & Performance

Rattlesnake Master is a fantastic, no-maintenance plant. It is exceptionally Drought Resistant once established, thanks to a deep, vigorous taproot that anchors it firmly in our local clay. It thrives in full sun and actually performs better in lean, average soils; overly rich soil can cause the tall flower stalks to lean.

Because of its deep taproot, it does not like to be moved once planted—site it carefully as a Soil Stabilizer or part of a Living Border. In the winter, the dried seed heads turn a beautiful charcoal gray, providing architectural interest and Bird Food & Cover. We recommend leaving the stalks standing through winter and cutting them to the ground in early March to make way for new silver rosettes.