Plant of the Day
Wednesday 28 July 2021
The annual Rhinanthus minor (yellow rattle) is known as the ‘meadow maker’ and is a great plant to start with if you wish a lawn to become more biodiversity. In early spring the seed germinates and the roots seek out the root systems of nearby plants, especially grasses. The yellow rattle draws water and nutrients from them, suppressing the growth by as much as 60%. This reduce vigour in the grasses so allowing other plants to establish due to the reduced competition. The common name comes from the yellow flowers and the seeds rattling in the seed cases. In some of the images across a meadow at Waterperry Garden, Oxford, there is a beehive with bees used to pollinate the orchard and meadow plants.
Jill Raggett