Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)
Rattlesnake master is a distinctive perennial and pollinator favorite! The tall flower stalks bloom in summer with prickly, dusty blue-tinged cones, and the coarse foliage features small teeth along the edges. While it looks like it would be at home in the desert, rattlesnake master can handle moist to dry, sandy, well-draining soils.
Natural habitat: Open woods, fields
Light requirements: Full sun
Soil requirements: Moist to dry, well draining
USDA hardiness: Zones 4-9
Height: 3′-5′
Spacing: 1′-2′
Wildlife value: Bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, flies, birds
Deer resistance: Resistant
Rabbit resistance: Resistant
Germination requirements
60 CMS; cover lightly
Rattlesnake master seeds require 60 days of cold moist stratification (abbreviated CMS in many reference guides). Stratification is the process of pre-treating seeds to mimic their natural cycles in an artificial setting.
Cold moist stratification can be achieved by sowing the seeds in your planting medium, gently watering them in, and setting them outside for a minimum of 60 days of temperatures consistently below 40 degrees. They will germinate when the soil warms up in spring. Alternatively, you can mix the seeds with a small amount of moist (not wet) sand, perlite, or vermiculite in a plastic baggie and place it in a refrigerator for 60 days. After chilling the seeds for 60 days, sow them by spreading out the contents of the baggie on the surface of your medium and gently watering them in.
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