Plant of the Week: Rattlesnake Master

Ever been bitten by a rattlesnake?  

If yes, we hope you didn’t try to use rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium) to treat your wound. The main reason it was given this awesome name was not for the way it looked (I know, it looks out-of-this-world, right?) but for the roots that were thought to have healing properties that could cure a rattle snake bite.  There’s no actual scientific evidence to back this claim up!  

Bogus misnomer aside, this amazing organism spans across the great lake’s region south all the way to Florida and west to Texas. It can grow up to 4 feet tall and attracts many pollinators as well as provides food for insects and seed-eating birds. It’s Yucca-like leaves look more like they belong in the desert southwest than the Midwest, a trait called out in the scientific name “yuccifolium”. 

Rattlesnake master grows wild in prairie and open woods, handling a wide range of soil types from moist pond-edges to dry slopes. In all, this is a great plant for gardens of all types where its unique structure provides interest even into winter. 

Written by Don Brown