Button snakeroot (Eryngium yuccifolium)

Button snakeroot (Eryngium yuccifolium) is a perennial plant that can grow 50cm – 1.5m tall and 10cm – 50cm wide. In this growing guide we’ll learn the cultivation details and how to plant Button snakeroot (Eryngium yuccifolium).
This plant has several common names including: button snakeroot, rattlesnake-master, rattlesnake’s master or button eryngo.
This is a evergreen plant that takes 2-5 years to reach full maturity.
In this article
Plant profile
Common name: button snakeroot, rattlesnake-master, rattlesnake’s master, button eryngo
Scientific name: Eryngium yuccifolium
Plant type: Perennials
Habit: Bushy
Height: 50cm – 1.5m
Spread: 10cm – 50cm
Foliage: Evergreen
Sunlight: Full Sun
Soil: Loam, Sand
Moisture: Well drained
Garden type: City & Courtyard Gardens, Coastal, Informal Garden, Rock & Gravel Garden
Planting type: Flower borders and bedding
Seasonal colors
Season | Stem | Foliage | Flower | Fruit |
---|---|---|---|---|
Spring | ||||
Summer | ||||
Autumn | ||||
Winter |

How to plant Button snakeroot (Eryngium yuccifolium) – Crazytwoknobs, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Perennial plants are one of the largest groups of plants.
They offer color, shape, fragrance and seasonal textures. The variety is such that there are plants to suit all sizes and styles of garden.
Traditionally, perennials are grown in borders, using a wall or hedge as a backdrop to bring out all their splendor during summer.
But since most gardens are not large enough for long borders dedicated exclusively to perennials, they are usually planted in mixed borders and beds, along with shrubs, annuals, biennials, and bulbs that extend the season of interest.
How to plant
In this section we will learn how to plant Button snakeroot (Eryngium yuccifolium), know its needs in terms of soil, watering and sun exposure.
Soil
Button snakeroot (Eryngium yuccifolium) is a plant that prefers to grow in loam or sand.
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The loam soil is dark, rich in organic matter but balanced in minerals. It offers the best of all worlds, retaining enough water for the plants, but allowing excess moisture to drain away. This is the most desired type of garden soil, perfect for most plants.
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Sandy soil is light, porous and very easy to drain. It is a soil poor in organic matter and nutrients. It is composed of relatively large mineral particles that allow water to drain quickly.
It is not very sensitive to soil acidity or alkalinity and grows well in soils with pH acid, alkaline or neutral.
Regarding drainage, Eryngium yuccifolium likes to grow in well drained soil.
Sunlight
Button snakeroot (Eryngium yuccifolium) should be grown in full sun places.

Cultivation profiles – Growing Button snakeroot (Eryngium yuccifolium) – Sesamehoneytart, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons