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Native Plant Society of Texas

Rattlesnake Master

Eryngium yuccifolium

Other common name(s):

Button Snakeroot, Button Eryngo, Button Snakeroot, Beargrass, Bear's Grass

Family:

Apiaceae (Carrot Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands
Coastal Sand Plain, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

3
to
6
ft.

Spread

0.5
to
1
ft.

Leaf Retention

Semi Evergreen

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Loam, Clay, Well Drained, Moist, Dry

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Low, Medium

Native Habitat

Grassland, Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer

Seasonal Interest

Nectar, Pollen

Wildlife Benefit

Beetles, Butterflies, Bees

Maintenance

Important prairie indicator. Makes an excellent focal point in a garden. Can be a profuse self-seeder. Remove spent bloom stalks if desired or leave to seed for wildlife. The spiny leaves are unpalatable to grazing livestock. Propagation: seed, root division.

Comments

Blooms May-August. Looks like a thistle but is in the carrot family. Long, narrow leaves are blue-green, yucca-like, with parallel veins and soft prickles widely spaced. Leaf retention depends on the region. Spherical flower heads are made up of many small white flowers with whitish bracts that appear at the end of branches. The fruit is a schizocarp: a dry fruit that splits into separate segments at maturity, each containing a single seed. Has a honey fragrance.

References

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Root Division Mature plants can be divided in late spring or early fall and planted in the ground. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ERYU
Seed No Treatment Direct sow seeds in spring to avoid the need to transplant at all. Prior to sowing, provide the rattlesnake master seeds with simulated cold stratification. Keep the seeds in a plastic bag with some sand in the refrigerator for two months before planting. If you’re sowing in fall, broadcast them in your desired area and wait for them to germinate in spring. Collect seed in fall when the seed heads have turned brown. Tap the seed out of the heads and air-dry, 1) https://www.epicgardening.com/rattlesnake-master/#:~:text=Propagation,them%20to%20germinate%20in%20spring. 2) https://www.everwilde.com/store/Eryngium-yuccifolium-WildFlower-Seed.html 3) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ERYU
Seed Stratification Cold-moist stratify at 40 degrees for 2 months. Sown in the spring. Collect seed in fall when the seed heads have turned brown. Tap the seed out of the heads and air-dry, https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ERYU

About the Region

Fall Symposium 2025 Logo - Teach for the Future

Salado, the location of our Fall 2025 Symposium, lies at the intersection of two ecoregions: the Edwards Plateau (Limestone Cut Plain) and Blackland Prairie (Northern Blackland Prairie).

The Edwards Plateau area is also called the Hill Country; however, this general term covers a much larger area extending farther north. Spring-fed creeks are found throughout the region; deep limestone canyons, rivers, and lakes (reservoirs) are common. Ashe juniper is perhaps the most common woody species found throughout the region. Additional woody species include various species of oak, with live oak (Quercus fusiformis) being the most common. Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) border waterways. This area is well known for its spring wildflower displays, though they may be viewed in spring, late summer, and fall, as well. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, average annual rainfall in the Edwards Plateau ranges from 15 to 34 inches.

The Blackland Prairie extends from the Red River south to San Antonio, bordered on the west by the Edwards Plateau and the Cross Timbers, and on the east by the Post Oak Savannah. Annual rainfall averages 30 to 40 inches, with higher averages to the east. This region is dominated by prairie species. The most common grass species include little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) in the uplands and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in the riparian areas and drainages. Common herbaceous flowering plants include salvias, penstemons, and silphiums. This area has suffered greatly from overgrazing and agricultural use. Few intact areas remain, though many of the plants can be found along county roadsides throughout the region.

Our fall Symposium host chapter, the Tonkawa Chapter, includes both of these ecoregions.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason