Rattlesnake master – Eryngium yuccifolium is a native perennial in the carrot family. Supposedly if you crush a leaf it will smell like carrots. This plant is easily grown in average soil in full sun, but it will tolerate light shade. It is quite drought tolerant and can self sow as well as come back from the root system. You can see where it gets its species name yuccifolium, with yucca like foliage.
It has small greenish white thistle-like blooms from summer through early fall. It has a wide native range, from southern Ontario to Florida and west to Iowa and Kansas. I had to investigate on how it got it’s common name. There are several theories. One of the first descriptions of this plant is from the 1700’s by John Adair, an early pioneer. He described the use of the plant’s sap to prevent snake bites during Native American ceremonies involving the handling of snakes. Adair reported to have seen Native Americans chewing the root of the plant, blowing on their hands and then handling rattlesnakes with no harm. To my knowledge, there is no evidence as to the efficacy of this plant in treating snakebites, so don’t try this at home! The dried seed heads were used by Native Americans to make rattles. Rattlesnake master does attract a whole host of pollinator insects from bees and butterflies, to hoverflies and soldier beetles.
Cast iron plant – Aspidistra elatior
s one tough perennial plant, which is how it got the common name cast iron plant. The plant is in the lily family and hales from China and Japan. The most common variety has a solid green leaves.
I think this variety may be Okame, but I am not sure about the exact name of this variegated form of the plant. There are quite a few new variegated introductions.
It is normally an evergreen plant, but the variegated forms may be a bit more tender and get nipped back in the winter months.
It should be root hardy, and bounce back through zone 7, so the northern tier of Arkansas is iffy. If you get any winter damaged leaves, wait until new growth is beginning and clean up the damaged leaves. Cast iron plant is a shade loving perennial, so a variegated form brightens up a shady spot. If you live north of its hardiness zone, it makes a carefree houseplant.
Salvia madrensis – Red-stemmed forsythia sage or salvia.
An introduction from Plants Delight is called Red Neck Girl! This salvia is native to the Sierra Madres in Mexico. The stems are thick and square (as with all members of the mint family) and a deep red color.
The plant can grow 6-7 feet tall in a growing season. It doesn’t start blooming until fall. The plant in the picture has its first flower buds about to open.
It is a yellow flowering salvia, which is also fairly rare. It will do well in sun to partial shade. I wish I could have seen it in full bloom, as the flower scapes were quite large. You can see where new leaves were sprouting all up and down the stem at the nodes. It is easily propagated by cuttings.