Marsh rattlesnake master
The plant grows in marshes, swamps and in ditches.
By LYNN ARTZ, SANDY TEDDER and DAVID RODDENBERRY
Marsh rattlesnake master (Eryngium aquaticum) is a striking wetland wildflower. Numerous tiny flowers form a spiky, ½-1-inch ball with a pale bluish white to cornflower blue and sometimes purple color. The distinctive flowerheads sit atop erect, branched stems 3-to-5-feet tall. Marsh rattlesnake master occurs naturally in sunny marshes and swamps, in wet prairies and bogs, along pond edges, and in ditches in scattered counties across Florida. In home landscapes, it is suited to low spots, rain gardens, water gardens, and ponds. It does not tolerate drought. Too much shade and too fertile soil produce taller, sprawling plants. Also called corn snakeroot, this showy perennial attracts many pollinators and is especially important for native bees. Marsh rattlesnake master is blooming now near the pond at Sopchoppy Depot Park.