Rattlesnake Master

Help the pollinators and add a bit of unique beauty to your garden with Rattlesnake Master.

This drought tolerant perennial provides nectar for a large number of beneficial insects, including many of our native bees. The blue-green leaves resemble yucca and the white blooms look like globe thistle.

You’ll find this native perennial growing in prairies, along the roadside and in open woods.

It tolerates drought, clay soil and grows well in dry shallow and rocky soils. Rattlesnake master grows 3 to 6 feet tall and will flop in overly rich soils. So limit fertilization and plant it with some sturdy neighbors like grasses and Russian sage.

Rattlesnake master will self-seed. Enjoy the extra plants or harvest the seeds when the seedheads are brown to share with friends. Plant these in fall or place in the refrigerator for spring planting.

A bit more information: Use Rattlesnake master in native, informal or even formal gardens. Cut a few flowers to use fresh or dried. Enjoy the hummingbirds and butterflies they attract and the fact the deer tend to leave them be.