Rattlesnake MASTER! Great common name for a wonderful perennial that fits the modern aesthetic perfectly. Low rosettes of silvery serrated pointed leaves are subtle. In summer 30″ branched spikes produce rounded clover-like white balls- these are the flowers and they remain showy for weeks and weeks before finally turning brown in late summer- that the time to remove them. This robust member of the carrot family is sure draw for pollinators and even works well as a huge architectural cut flowers ( the flowers up close kind of smell bad- never smell an Eryngium you’ll regret it) but the fragrance is only detectable up close. Amazing with ornamental grasses. A flower with great presence that makes everybody else look better. Photographs well. Full sun to very light shade in any well drained site. Light to little summer water. Completely winter deciduous. High deer resistance. Rosettes increase with time and so do blooms spikes. Long lived.
Eryngium yuccafolium
Family: Apiaceae Genus: Eryngium
Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
Biomes/Growing conditions: Deer Resistance, Hot Aspects, Low Water/No Water
Sun exposure: Full Sun, Part Shade
USDA Hardiness zone: Zn5b -10º to -15ºF
Foliage color: Gray-green, Silver/Gray
Foliage season: Winter Deciduous