Description: Spiky, globular white flowers with yucca-like leaves.
Growth Habit: Upright, clump-forming perennial. 4ft height
Sun/Shade: Full sun.
Water Needs: Low to moderate; drought-tolerant.
Soil Preferences: Well-drained, sandy or loamy soil.
Benefits: Attracts pollinators and adds unique texture to gardens. Deer-resistant. Great for prairie restorations.
From Prairie Moon Nursery:
Eryngium yuccifolium (Rattlesnake Master) matures to a height of 4' and has white "bristly" flowers. These bristly flowers and coarse leaves make it largely ignored by 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 typically found in medium-wet to medium-dry soils and prefers sites with full sun. Although not a butterfly or bumblebee magnet, small native bees, moths and flies will nectar on Rattlesnake Master. Rattlesnake Master is one of the host plants of the Black Swallowtail.
The latin name, Eryngium yuccifolium, comes from the fact that the leaves look very much like a Yucca plant. Other common names include Button Snakeroot, Yucca-leaf Eryngo, Corn Snakeroot, Water-eryngo, Rattlesnake Flag, and Rattlesnake Weed.