Rattlepot ∗ Characteristics, toxicity and tips for sowing

the essentials in brief

• rattling pot is an annual, herbaceous wildflower with lemon-yellow flowers, 10 to 80 cm tall and winged seeds that clatter softly in maturing capsules.
• As semi-parasites, rattles tap off nutrients and water from host plants with suction organs (haustoria).
• Best planting method: Sow Rattlepot seeds directly in autumn in an existing green area in a sunny location.
• Care Tips: Rattlepot Meadow not fertilize, water when dry, mow once in August.
• Rattle species and varieties: Greater Rattle (Rhinanthus angustifolius), Lesser Rattle (Rhinanthus minor), Shaggy Rattlehead (Rhinanthus alectorolophus), Awning Rattle (Rhinanthus glacialis), Yawning Shaggy Rattle (Rhinanthus alectorolophus subsp. facchinii), Southern Alps rattle (Rhinanthus alectorolophus subsp. freynii), Greater Puszta Rattle (Rhinanthus borbasii) and Glandular Rattle (Rhinantus rumelicus).

Characteristics

• Scientific name: Rhinanthus
• Family: Broomrape family (Orobanchaceae)
• Genus: Rattlepot with 50 species
• Growth form: herbaceous
• Growth height: 10 to 80 cm
• Leaf: opposite, sessile, ovate
• Flower: mint family
• Flower color: lemon yellow
• Fruit: capsule fruit
• seeds: winged, disc-shaped
• Toxicity: toxic
• Root: Roots with haustoria

seed

The winged seeds do not set off quietly on their journey. A breath of wind is enough and the 5 mm small, 3 mg light seeds rattle happily in the ripening capsule fruit. The rattle pot owes its name to this acoustic performance.

blossom

With its flower shape, the rattle pot is out of the ordinary. Unlike other lamiaceae, its flower lips are tightly closed. Potential nectar consumers must first open the flower and crawl inside. Only strong insects with long proboscises, such as bumblebees, wild bees and some butterflies. The following overview summarizes other properties of a rattle pot flower:

• inflorescences: spike-like racemes
• Flower shape: helmet-shaped, curved upper lip, three-lobed lower lip
• stamen: four stamens, hidden under the upper lip
• Special feature: leaf-like, triangular bracts under each flower

Typical for the growth of native rattlepot species are six to twelve pairs of inserted, sessile leaves. 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 fend off their predators. An extremely bitter taste warns humans and animals against further consumption. Anyone who ignores this warning will be punished with excruciating stomach and intestinal problems and severe nausea.

At the same time, iridoids protect rattletrap from diseases and fungal infections. In the distant past, the antibacterial ingredients were attested to have a special healing effect against dry cough, asthma and inflammation of all kinds. Rinses with rattle pot brew served as Home remedies for lice and eye discomfort. In view of the toxic side effects, the broomrape family has now lost its status as a medicinal herb.

root

Rattlepot species thrive as semi-parasites. The herbaceous annual wildflowers form only a stunted root system. The rudimentary roots carry special suction organs, the so-called haustoria. Rattlepots use these sucking organs to tap into the root systems of their host plants to deprive them of nutrients and water. In contrast to the full parasite, such as the real broomrape (Orobanche), a rattle pot has a Half-parasite on plant's own leaf green (chlorophyll) for host-independent photosynthesis.

In agriculture, rattles are not popular and are discredited as weeds. Cows, sheep and goats give the bitter-tasting broomrape a wide berth. In the vernacular, the rattle pot is called the milk thief because, as a semi-parasite, it robs the nutrients of the juicy grasses on the cow pasture. On the other hand, amateur gardeners who are close to nature appreciate rattlepot species as yellow-green grass police in the flower meadow. Rattle pots are an important part of bee pastures.

species

The genus Rattlepot is represented with about 50 species in the northern hemisphere. Some of the finest species inhabit oceanic Eurasia. The wildflowers are native to Germany's fen meadows, semi-arid grasslands, grain fields, forest clearings and nutrient-poor clay soils and climb up to the tree line in the mountains. The following table gives you a closer look at native rattle pot species:

In 2005, Big Rattlepot was named Flower of the Year. The Hamburg Foundation for the Protection of Endangered Plants draws attention to the fact that wild flowers in Germany are threatened with extinction.

digression

Rattlepot isn't picky

Plant rattle pot - sow seeds directly

For the sowing of rattlepot seeds in the garden requires a modified approach. There must be a flower meadow or grass stock for the seeds to germinate. Because the seeds are cold germs, it comes at the right time for them sowing at. How to properly sow rattle pots:

1. Sow rattlepot seeds in the fall from August to November
2. Shortly mow the meadow area in the sunny location (25 mm)
3. Create open ground islands with a rake or harrow
4. Scatter seeds (0.5 g/m²)
5. Work light germs lightly into the soil, roll or press down by hand
6. Rattle pot seeds with watering can or lawn sprinkler(€32.00 at Amazon*) rain in

From the end of March/beginning of April, the seedlings emerge and bloom from June.

Maintain rattle pot - 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:

• Water early in the morning or after sunset during summer drought
• Do not fertilize green areas with a rattle pot
• Cut the rattle pot meadow once or twice a year

The leaner a meadow with rattle pots, the less often it is mowed. Please wait until August before mowing a poor meadow, so that the winged seeds can be distributed over the green area. Ideally you mow in two stages. Cut half of the rattle pot meadow at the end of August and the other half at the end of September. If the flower meadow grows too much for you at the nutrient-rich location, add an additional pruning date at the end of June.

Popular Varieties

Mother Nature conjured up numerous subspecies and hybrids from the native rattlepot species in the table above:

• Little rattle pot: Rhinanthus minor subsp. monticola, common in Great Britain.
• Yawning shaggy rattlepot: Rhinanthus alectorolophus subsp. facchinii, regional variety in South Tyrol.
• Southern Alps Zotten-Klappertopf: Rhinanthus alectorolophus subsp. freynii thrives locally in Salzburg, Carinthia and South Tyrol.
• Large puszta rattle pot: Rhinanthus borbasii, discovered in Hungary and Burgenland.
• Glandular Rattlepot: Rhinantus rumelicus, found in Thuringia on poor, calcareous loamy soils.

FAQ

Is a rattle pot poisonous to horses?

Forage meadow experts rate Rattlepot species when green as mildly 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 indigestion, diarrhea and colic. Dried rattle in the hay is harmless.

How to fight Rattlepot?

Rattlepot is an annual, herbaceous plant that depends on self-seeding. By trimming, mowing or cutting the wildflower in early spring scythe, stop the formation of flowers, fruits and seeds. The cleaning cut is recommended at a growth height of 10 centimeters.

Does sowing rattle pot help against couch grass?

When fighting couch grass and other infamous weeds, rattle pot provides valuable protection. Sowing in autumn deprives couch grass of important nutrients and significantly weakens the root weeds. In the longer term, rattle pots can help drive back invasive weeds in the garden. Positive side effects are lemon-yellow flowers in summer and happy bumblebees.