How to Grow and Care for Rattles

Greater yellow rattle is a flowering annual. Because it is a hemiparasitic plant, it is a valuable meadow plant for creating more biodiversity. It attaches itself to the roots of grassy plants and will restrict their growth, allowing other plants to flourish in the same space.

Other names for arctic rattlebox (Rhinanthus minor) include little yellow rattle, hay rattle, rattle grass, corn rattle, and penny grass. It’s a hemiparasitic species, which means it gets some of its nutritional requirements from other plants. It gets the rest through the process of photosynthesis.

Greater yellow rattle (Rhinanthus angustifolius) is named for the noise made by its seed pods. In the past, these pods rattling in the breeze were taken as a sign that it was time to begin harvesting hay. Greater yellow rattle is a "hemiparasite" that steals nutrients from neighboring roots.

Late-flowering yellow rattle is a late-blooming wildflower, distinguished by its yellow lower lip and hooded upper lip, resembling a small snapdragon. Thriving in sun-drenched grasslands, late-flowering yellow rattle is adapted to attract pollinators with its vibrant flowers. Its tooth-like seed appendages latch onto passing animals, enabling widespread dispersal. These features facilitate late-flowering yellow rattle's success in its native ecosystem.