Plant Profile: Eryngium yuccifolium

Rattlesnake Master is a herbaceous perennial that thrives in the central United States and is found across various eastern states. It was honored as the 2016 Wildflower of the Year due to its striking and distinctive foliage and flowers.

This plant received the title of 2016 NC Wildflower of the Year, an initiative overseen by the North Carolina Botanical Garden, with financial backing from the Garden Club of North Carolina.

In terms of habitat, the variety synchaetum prefers wet savannas, particularly those situated on calcareous clay soils, while the variety yuccifolium is typically found in diabase barrens, glades, olivine barrens, rocky woodlands, pine savannas, and flatwoods on loamy or clay soils, as well as prairies and other open areas that experience periodic moisture, often in locations with prairie characteristics.

This plant is an excellent choice for perennial borders, open woodlands, naturalized spaces, and gardens designed to attract pollinators.