Prairie Plant Gallery

Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium) is a unique prairie wildflower that can be easily distinguished from other species by its prickly, whitish flower heads.  This member of the Carrot family (Apiaceae) grows to be 2 to 4 feet tall and has stiff leaves that resemble those of desert-dwelling yucca plants.  Rattlesnake Master owes its peculiar common name to Native Americans who used the plant’s roots used to make an antidote for rattlesnake venom.  Rattlesnake Master is common throughout the Arboretum prairies and usually blooms from July through August.