Eryngium yuccifolium - Rattlesnake Master - 3" Pot

Rattlesnake master is a one-of-a-kind herbaceous perennial that thrives in a variety of environments with full sun and moist, well-drained soil. It forms clumps of blue-green, sword-like foliage that extend up to 30 inches in length. This striking foliage earns this plant its specific epithet, yuccifolium, which means “yucca-like foliage”. This is one of few dicotyledonous species with parallel venation. Even more striking are its flowers, which are clustered into globes that are held on branching stems near the top of the plant. These delightful white balls bloom for a few weeks in the late summer and are pollinated by a diversity of small bees, flies, butterflies, and beetles. One specialized species of moth, the rattlesnake master stem-borer, is dependent on rattlesnake master to complete its life cycle. The seed structures that follow the unique flower clusters are held into the winter, creating lasting visual interest. This plant is easy to establish and is resistant to drought as well as mammalian herbivory. It is well-suited to water gardens, cottage gardens, and naturalized prairie plantings.