Eryngium yuccifolium (Rattlesnake Master)
Rattlesnake Master blooms from June until September and the flowers have a sweet honey like scent. The scent attracts many beneficial insects. Some of these include; native long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, skippers, moths, beetles, and for a lack of a better name, a variety of plant bugs. Rattlesnake Master is a host plant for the Swallowtail butterfly and in particular the Black Swallowtail .
Rattlesnake Master will grow from 2-5 ft tall on a stiff erect stem that is unbranched except at the top giving it a striking vertical look. The leaves wrap around the stem and are long and thin with prickly edges that resemble yuccas.
It grows well on wet or dry mesic prairie soil. It is generally found in wet or dry prairies and open woods.
AT A GLANCE
Texas native | Yes |
Water use | Medium |
Sun exposure | Full sun to part sun |
Mature height | 2-5 ft |
Bloom color | Greenish white |
Bloom time | Summer |
Attracts | Bees, butterflies |
Host plant | Swallowtail butterflies |
Notes | Native bee friendly. Attracts beneficial insects. |
DISTRIBUTION MAPS
Present in state |
Present in county and native |
Native to North America, but adventive & escaped in state |
Not present in state |
Present and rare, native in county |
Previously present, now extinct |
Questionable presence (cross-hatched, regardless of color) |