Hobby gardeners know the problem: Where a colorful flower meadow was planned, boring grasses have the upper hand. Anyone who admits defeat to the monotonous green doesn't yet know the rattlepot. A look at the profile, planting and care shows how the wild plant is useful in flowering meadows. Here you can find out how rattlepot sowing in green areas clears the way for colorful flowers and happy bumblebees.
What is the rattlepot and how do you plant it?
The rattlepot is an annual wildflower that, as a semi-parasite, taps other plants to get nutrients and water. It has lemon-yellow flowers, grows to heights of 10 to 80 cm and prefers sunny locations. Sowing takes place in autumn in existing green areas.
Profile
- Scientific name: Rhinanthus
- Family: Broomwort family (Orobanchaceae)
- Genus: Rattlepot with 50 species
- Growth habit: herbaceous
- Growth height: 10 to 80 cm
- Leaf: opposite, sessile, ovoid
- Flower: mint family
- Flower color: lemon yellow
- Fruit: capsule fruit
- Seeds: winged, disc-shaped
- Toxicity: poisonous
- Root: roots with haustoria
Seeds
The winged seeds do not set off on their journey quietly. A breath of wind is enough and the 5 mm small, 3 mg light seeds rattle happily in the ripening capsule fruit. The rattlepot owes its name to this acoustic performance.
Bloom
With its flower shape, the rattlepot stands out. In contrast to other mint family, its flower lips are tightly closed. Potential nectar consumers must first open the flower and crawl inside. Only strong insects with long trunks, such as bumblebees, wild bees and some butterflies, can access the tempting nectar. The following overview summarizes further characteristics of a rattlepot flower:
- Inflorescences: spike-like clusters
- Flower shape: helmet-shaped, curved upper lip, three-pointed lower lip
- Stamen: four stamens, hidden under the upper lip
- Special feature: leaf-like, triangular bracts under each flower
Six to twelve pairs of inserted, sessile leaves are typical for the growth of native rattlesnake species. These sit along the shoot axis between the inflorescences and their bracts.
Toxicity
Rattlepot is one of the poisonous plant species. Leaves, flowers, seeds and roots are not edible. The reason for the assignment are iridoid glycosides, such as aucubin and rhinantin. 50 native plant families use these toxins to ward off their predators. An extremely bitter taste warns people and animals against further consumption. Anyone who ignores this warning will be punished with excruciating stomach and intestinal problems as well as severe nausea.
Iridoids also arm rattles against diseases and fungal infections. In ancient times, the antibacterial ingredients were said to have special healing effects against dry coughs, asthma and all kinds of inflammation. Rinses with rattlepot decoction served as a home remedy against lice and eye problems. In view of the toxic side effects, the broomwort family has now lost its status as a medicinal herb.
Roots
Rattlepot species thrive as semi-parasites. The herbaceous, annual wildflowers only form a stunted root system. The rudimentary roots carry special sucking organs called haustoria. With the help of these sucking organs, rattlesnakes tap into the root systems of their host plants in order to extract nutrients and water from them. In contrast to the full parasite, such as the real Broomwort (Orobanche), a rattlesnake as a semi-parasite has the plant's own leaf green (chlorophyll) for host-independent photosynthesis.
In agriculture, rattling pots are not welcome and are considered a weed. Cows, sheep and goats avoid the broomwort family with its bitter taste. The milk thief is popularly scolded because, as a semi-parasite, he robs the lush grasses in the cow pasture of nutrients. Hobby gardeners who are close to nature, on the other hand, appreciate rattlepot species as yellow-green grass police in the flower meadow. Rattling pots are an important part of bee pastures.
Species
The rattlepot genus is represented by around 50 species in the northern hemisphere. Some of the most beautiful species populate oceanic Eurasia. The wildflowers are native to Germany's fen meadows, semi-dry grasslands, grain fields, forest clearings and nutrient-poor clay soils and climb up to the tree line in the mountains. The following table introduces you to local rattlepot species in more detail:
| Rattlepot species | Big Rattling Pot | Little Rattling Pot | Shaggy rattlepot | Awn Rattlepot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Botanical name | Rhinanthus angustifolius | Rhinanthus minor | Rhinanthus alectorolophus | Rhinanthus glacialis |
| Growth height | 50 to 80 cm | 10 to 50 cm | 10 to 80 cm | 10 to 50 cm |
| Flowering time | May to August | May to September | May to September | June to September |
| Special feature | Stem dashed black | Flower corolla bluish serrated | shaggy calyx | Inflorescences with long awns |
| Main deposits | Northern Germany | Nationwide | Central and Southern Germany | Harz, southern Alps |
In 2005, Great Rattlepot was named Flower of the Year. The Hamburg Foundation for the Protection of Endangered Plants draws attention to the fact that wildflowers in Germany are threatened with extinction.
Excursus
Rattlepot is not picky
Rattlepot species tap numerous host plants. The semi-parasites prefer to seek close contact with sweet grasses. Legumes are also not overlooked as sources of nutrients and water. A rattlepot adapts the size of its haustoria to its host. Sow organs on red fescue (Festuca rubra) are 1 mm small. Haustoria on common horn trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) grow twice as large.
Planting rattlepot – sow seeds directly
A modified procedure is required for sowing rattlepot seeds in the garden. There must be a flower meadow or grassy area for the seeds to germinate. Because the seeds are cold germinators, the right time for sowing is important. This is how you sow rattlespots correctly:
- Sow rattlepot seeds in autumn from August to November
- Mow the meadow area briefly in a sunny location (25 mm)
- Create open soil islands with a rake or harrow
- Spread seeds (0.5 g/m²)
- Work light germinators lightly into the soil, roll or press by hand
- Rain rattlepot seeds with a watering can or lawn sprinkler
The seedlings emerge from the end of March/beginning of April and bloom from June.
Maintaining rattlepot – tips
With the right care, you can ensure that rattling pots don't stop at a one-year guest appearance in the garden. The following care tips explain how to do it right:
- Watering early in the morning or after sunset in dry summer conditions
- Do not fertilize green areas with a rattle pot
- Cut the rattlepot meadow once or twice a year
The leaner a meadow with rattling pots is, the less frequently it is mowed. Please wait until August before mowing a poor meadow so that the winged seeds can spread across the green area. Ideally, you mow in two stages. Cut half of the rattlepot meadow at the end of August and the other half at the end of September. If the flower meadow is growing over your head in a nutrient-rich location, schedule an additional pruning appointment at the end of June.
Popular varieties
Mother Nature conjured up numerous subspecies and hybrids from the native rattlesnake species in the table above:
- Little Rattlepot: Rhinanthus minor subsp. monticola, common in Great Britain.
- Yawning shaggy rattlepot: Rhinanthus alectorolophus subsp. facchinii, regional variety in South Tyrol.
- South Alpine Villi Rattlepot: Rhinanthus alectorolophus subsp. freynii thrives locally in Salzburg, Carinthia and South Tyrol.
- Great Puszta Rattlepot: Rhinanthus borbasii, discovered in Hungary and Burgenland.
- Glandular Rattlepot: Rhinantus rumelicus, found in Thuringia on calcareous, poor clay soils.
FAQ
Is a rattle pot poisonous to horses?
Experts in forage meadows rate rattlepot species when green as slightly toxic to horses, cows and other grazing animals. The alkaloid aucubin (rhinanthine) can cause inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract when consumed in large quantities. The affected horse suffers from digestive problems, diarrhea and colic. Dried rattlepot in hay is harmless.
How to fight rattlepot?
Rattlepot is an annual, herbaceous plant that relies on self-seeding. By cutting, mowing or scything the wildflower in early spring, you prevent the formation of flowers, fruits and seeds. Cleaning cuts are recommended when the plant height is 10 centimeters.
Does sowing rattlepot help against couch grass?
Klappertopf provides valuable assistance in combating couch grass and other infamous weeds. Sowing in autumn deprives couch grass of important nutrients and significantly weakens the root weeds. In the longer term, you can use rattle pot to push back invasive weeds in the garden. Positive side effects include lemon-yellow flowers in summer and happy bumblebees.
