Rattlesnake master is a perennial forb that grows from a thickened, corm-like crown. When not flowering, the plant forms a rosette of long, narrow, fibrous leaves, sometimes reaching up to 30 inches in length, but usually less. Rattlesnake master flowers during summer; depending on your latitude, flowering may start in late May or early July, and may continue until early September. The hairless, glaucous flower stalks are usually less than 4 feet in height, but may reach up to five feet tall on optimal sites. Large plants may have over ten flowering stalks, but most plants produce only one or two. The slender stem leaves grow shorter as the stems get taller, until they are reduced to bracts within the inflorescence. The plants have a large rootstock. This is an adaptation that allows for water storage during summer droughts, a frequent occurrence on the open prairie. The inflorescence is open, usually consisting of three to twenty hemispherical flower heads that may be up to an inch in diameter; the heads are dense aggregations of tiny, white flowers. The flowers are surrounded by bracts and bractlets that are sharp and pointed. (1)
The plants can survive in USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9. Make sure to keep them in a well-lit spot in your garden. Rattlesnake master thrives well in dry to medium, well-drained soils. However, it prefers dryish, sandy soil and tends to sprawl when grown in overly fertile soil. It’s tolerant of clay soil, shallow rocky soil, loamy soil, and dry soil. The ideal pH is slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. The plants don’t require heavy fertilizers as the presence of nitrogen can encourage weed competition. Therefore, only fertilize if the soil indicates a severe deficiency. If you want to grow more plants for your garden, then the rattlesnake master can be easily propagated through by division. Simply divide the mature plants in fall or spring. Place the division in separate 4″ inch containers filled with potting mix and keep in a shaded area. Cover them with plastic bags to maintain humidity levels. Once new growth appears, remove the plastic, and carefully transplant them to permanent, well-lit locations in the garden. (2)
Significance to Cultural Communities
The name “rattlesnake master” prompts all kinds of suggestions as to potential medical uses. The best documented use we could find was made by James Adair during the 1700s. Adair spent years among the Chickasaw in the 18th century and wrote about their use of this species. He reported witnessing a shaman spit chewed roots on his hands and then safely take up a rattlesnake. Adair and others reported many medical and ceremonial uses of this plant by Native Americans ranging from the treating of venereal disease, snake bite, worms and impotence (3-4). According to these same sources, the Mesquakies used the plant in their ceremonial rattlesnake dance and the roots to treat rattlesnake bites. The sources report that the sap and roots were also used to treat a wide variety of maladies, and as a diuretic, and that different Native Peoples in North America would use the fibrous leaves of this perennial plant for weaving purposes, like making sandals and baskets. (3)
In addition to the medicinal and ceremonial uses, this plant is also significant to wildlife. The nectar from the flowering heads attract many kinds of insects, including bees, wasps, flies, Monarch and other butterflies, skippers, moths, and beetles.
Community/First Voice
Dear reader, if you have a connection or story to this plant and would like to share it with us, so that we may have a first person perspective, please let us know by email heritagagarden.uic@gmail.com or call us at (312)996-3143.
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1. “U.S. Forest Service.” Forest Service Shield, n.d. https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/Eryngium-yuccifolium.shtml.
2. “EspirituFounder, Kevin. “Eryngium Yuccifolium Care: Grow Rattlesnake Master.” Epic Gardening, December 13, 2019. https://www.epicgardening.com/eryngium-yuccifolium/.
3. “Eryngium Yuccifolium.” The Medicinal Plant Garden. Accessed November 30, 2020. https://medicinalgarden.trekbirmingham.com/eryngium-yuccifolium/.
4. “Adiar James Robert” NCPEDIA. https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/adair-james-robert