Rhinanthus, nose flower in Greek, is an apt description of the profile of these yellow flowers. The Yellow Rattle name comes from the sound of ripe seeds shaken within the seed pods. Many other names with a similar theme were in use around the country, such as hay rattle, or money in the purse.
Yellow rattle is a hemi-parasite. It can photosynthesise but thrives best when stealing nutrients and moisture from the root systems of other plants. Although best known for parasitising grasses, it has been observed sneaking nutrients from 18 different plant families. Some plants eg Knapweed and Ox-eye Daisy can resist attack, but grasses and legumes such as clover and bird’s foot trefoil have little defence.
Farmers in the past often regarded it as a weed as it would weaken their hay crop. The plant went into decline as silage took over from traditional haymaking. Yellow rattle is an annual which needs to set seed after flowering, which the early cut of Silage prevents.
In recent years it has made a comeback as we belatedly work to restore the biodiversity lost with the disappearance of our wildflower meadows. Described as the Meadow Maker it can reduce grass growth rate by around 40%, giving space for other wildflowers to re establish from the soil seed-bank. Photo 3 is from the field behind the school. Take a look beside the path to see how it has thinned the grass where it is growing (the dark patch in the photo)
This article gives good advice for growing Yellow Rattle. Seeds need to be fresh, have good contact with bare soil and be exposed to cold to weather over Winter to germinate in the Spring. How to grow yellow rattle
Will our Meadow Maker be less able to help us in the future as our Winters warm?