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The Good Plant Company

Rattlesnake Master

Rattlesnake Master

Eryngium yuccifolium

Mature Size: 3–5' H x 2–3' W

$13.00 USD
$13.00 USD
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Size

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. Rattlesnake Master 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.

Performance & Site Care

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 average to moist, well drained soils.

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. We recommend leaving the stalks standing through winter and cutting them to the ground in early March to make way for new silver rosettes.

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Site Function

Clay Specialist
Thrives in heavy, dense clay soils without succumbing to root rot or summer soil contraction.
Drought Resistant
Handles extended dry periods without supplemental watering once established.
Soil Stabilizer
Deep, structural root systems that anchor subsoils, break up compaction, and improve soil structure.
Living Border
Low, tidy, clumping plants that define garden edges and suppress encroaching weeds.

Eco-Role

Pollinator Magnet
Highly attractive floral presentation that draws an exceptionally wide array of native bees and butterflies.
Specialist Host
Serves as a critical larval host for specific, highly specialized butterfly, moth, or insect species.
Early-Season Nectar
Supplies essential early-spring forage for newly emerged queen bees and early pollinators when food is scarce.
Bird Food & Cover
Delivers energy-dense seeds or berries alongside structural shelter for nesting and winter protection.