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Tried and True Native Plant Selections
for the Mid-Atlantic
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Eryngium yuccifolium (Northern Rattlesnake-master, Button Eryngo)
This native* of Midwestern prairies and moist Southeastern sites provides unique form, texture, and color contrast in the garden. Striking flower heads attract myriad pollinators. Bluish-to-grey-green leaves resemble yucca, as reflected in its epithet. One common name, though, comes from the mistaken belief that it provided an antidote to rattlesnake bites.
*In the Mid-Atlantic, Eryngium yuccifolium var. yuccifolium is endangered in MD. In VA, it is rare where it occurs—mostly in southeastern counties as well as in Fairfax County in NoVa. You can view the VA counties in which it has been reported here.
Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants:
Tried and True Native Plant Fact Sheets