Sun Exposure: Sun
Soil Moisture: Medium-Wet, Medium, Medium-Dry
Soil Type: Sand, Loam, Clay, Gravelly
Height: 3 - 4 feet
Spread: 1 - 2 feet
Blooms: July, August
Root: Taproot
Habitat: Prairies, Thickets, Savannas, Limestone glades.
Landscape uses: Pollinator gardens, Naturalization, Deer and Rabbit resistant
Complimentary Plants: Dense Blazing Star, Yellow Coneflower,
Wildlife Value: The flowering heads attract many kinds of insects, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, skippers, moths, beetles, and plant bugs. These insects usually seek nectar, although some of the bees may collect pollen for their brood nests.
Seed Origin: Winona, MN (Prairie Moon seed supplier)
Germination Code: C(60)
Photo credits: #1 by Sten Porse , #2 by Eric Hunt, #3 by Sten Porse, #4 by Kurt Stueber
Eryngium yuccifolium - Rattlesnake Master
This is a unique plant best known for its bristly, round flower heads. It is named for its silvery blue-green spiky basal foliage which strongly resembles the yucca plant. This plant will stand out in any garden, individually or in groups. Attractive to a variety of pollinators, the highly textured flowers and leaves are unpalatable to both deer and rabbits.
It is a member of the carrot/parsley (Apiaceae) family, but is very different-looking from the usual umbel flowers and fine-cut foliage of plants in this family. It is one of the host plants of the Black Swallowtail.
This plant is native to the eastern United States and considered a "near-native" to Ontario.