Yellow rattle is a yellow coloured wildflower common throughout Europe, Russia, western Asia, and northern North America. It is a distinctive flower and stands out from the usual flowers seen in meadows.
An annual plant, yellow rattle grows up to 10–50 cm tall, with upright stems and opposite, simple leaves. It gets it name from the sound the loose, rattling seeds in the fruit capsule if plant is moved.
The preferred habitat of Rhinanthus minor is dry fields or meadows; it tolerates a wide range of soil types. It flowers in the summer between May and September. It is hemiparasitic, on grasses and peas and farmers consider it to be a pest, as it reduces grass growth.
It can be used to help create wildflower meadows as it reduces the growth rate of grasses that would otherwise dominate.
