Yellow Rattle Plug Plants (Rhinanthus minor)
Grown from our own quality-assured, fresh, UK native seed, our yellow rattle plug plants are ready to be planted in your garden or meadow immediately upon on arrival in April.
Yellow rattle is a must for a wildflower gardens and meadows. As a semi-parasitic plant, it requires robust neighbour plants like grasses and legumes, but also acts as a watchdog against vigorous weeds. That's on top of the beauty of its golden, bell-shaped flowers, complete with a charming 'chime' as its ripened seed pods rattle in the breeze.
Our yellow rattle plug plants are grown from high-quality, British seed from wild meadow collections, and arrive ready to be planted complete with the essential meadow grasses.
- Type: Annual
- Height: 20–50cm.
- Flowers: May-September
- Soil Requirement: Moist or well-drained
- Light Requirement: Full sun
- Natural Habitat: Grassland, meadows
- Also known as: Corn Rattle, Hay Rattle, Penny Grass
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How will my plants arrive?
- Our wildflower plug plants are supplied as 40cc plugs, roughly size of your index finger.
- Plug plants have different levels of top growth depending on the season and variety.
- The plant you receive might have minimal top growth on arrival, but this is completely normal and the plant is not dead.
- The healthy, well-established roots are the most important part and will support fresh growth when conditions are right.
- We supply our wildflower plants in custom made cardboard boxes. The boxes are an exact fit for the plants to ensure that they do not move around and get damaged in transit.
- We dispatch the plugs on an overnight courier service to minimise the amount of time the plants are enclosed in the box.
- We do not dispatch the plants on a Friday as this would result in them being in the box over the weekend.
How old are the plants?
- All wildflower species will take differing periods of time to establish.
- Some can be ready in as little as two months after the seed has germinated whereas some of the slowest to establish, such as Cowslip, can take around nine months to be ready.
Top Tips
- We recommend planting them as soon as they have been delivered. If this is not viable, please remove them from the box and keep them moist until you can plant them.
- We don’t recommend potting on as they don’t do well being moved – they are grown outdoors in polytunnels, so are hardy enough to be planted straight out
Please Note: Plug plants have different levels of top growth depending on the season and variety. The plant might have minimal top growth on arrival, but this is completely normal. Healthy, well-established roots are the most important part and will support fresh growth when conditions are right.
When to Plant Wildflower Plug Plants
Wildflower plugs can be planted for most of the year provided the ground isn’t frozen solid or saturated with water. The best results usually come from planting in spring or autumn, when temperatures are mild and the soil has enough moisture for the roots to settle before any extreme heat or cold.
How to Plant and Care for Wildflower Plug Plants
On Arrival:
Open the boxes immediately. Lightly water the plugs and place them in a sunny spot until planting.
Ideally, plant within a few days, but they will be fine if kept watered with access to sunlight.
What to Expect:
These plugs are standard 40cc size (roughly the length of your index finger).
Top growth may be minimal or dormant at times, this is normal. The root system is what matters most.
Prepare the Ground:
Clear the area of weeds and grass. Mow existing grass to around 10cm and remove cuttings. Wildflowers prefer poorer soil, so avoid fertiliser.
Make Planting Holes: Use a dibber, trowel, or similar tool to make holes slightly larger and as deep as the plug itself.
Plant the Plugs:
Remove plugs gently from the tray by squeezing the base. Place each plug in its hole so the top of the rootball is level with the soil surface. Firm the soil gently around the plug.
Spacing:
Plant approximately 5 plugs per square metre for an even display.
Water Well:
After planting, water generously to settle the soil. Keep the area moist for the first few weeks while roots establish.
Aftercare:
- Once established, wildflower plugs require minimal care.
- Keep weeds in check, water during dry periods, and allow flowers to set seed naturally.
- Leave plants to die back naturally after flowering.
- When they have finished seeding, cut back to around 10cm and remove cuttings.
Flowering:
Sit back, relax and look forward to beautiful spring flowers! Many species may not flower in the first year, but they will continue to develop over time.
Why Roots Matter:
With wildflower plugs, the strength of the plant lies beneath the surface. Even when top growth appears pale or dormant, the plug’s root system contains the energy it needs to flourish. Firm, white roots are a sign of vitality. Because these roots are already developed, plugs establish faster, handle competition better, and adapt well to a range of soil types and growing conditions.
1 - Ongoing maintenance
Yellow rattle is an annual so it will require ongoing maintenance and a regular cutting regime for it to self-seed and flower the subsequent years. Populations of yellow rattle may die out after a year if the seed heads are not allowed to drop seed.
2 - Regularly weeding throughout the growing season
Remove weeds and undesirable plants by hand throughout the yellow rattle growing season.
3 - Cut your Yellow Rattle Plants in autumn
As yellow rattle is an annual, an autumn cut is required in order for it to self-seed and flower the following year. Once it has died back, they will need cutting to around 10cm in height, leave the cuttings on the surface for around 7-10 days. This will allow the seed heads to dry out and for the seed to have drop into the soil for flowering the foillowing year. After this time, it is important to remove the cuttings else they can mulch back into the soil, making the soil richer and more fertile.
When should I plant yellow rattle plug plants?
Yellow rattle plugs are delivered in April, ready to be planted out immediately into your garden or meadow. If you are unable to plant straight away, open the box, place in sunlight and keep moist until they can be planted. Make sure to plant within a few days or receiving your plugs.
Does yellow rattle come back every year?
As yellow rattle is an annual, unless it has been pollinated and growing seeds, it will die out after a year, and therefore should be replanted each spring.
When to cut back yellow rattle?
It is best to leave cutting as late as possible, however, around September and October is the best time. Yellow rattle usually stops growing around June or July time.
Where to plant yellow rattle plug plants?
Plant yellow rattle plug plants in full sunlight and into well-drained soils wherever possible. Our yellow rattle plugs are delivered with the essential slow growing, meadow grasses for yellow rattle to thrive, so can be planted into bare soil or into existing grass and wildflower meadows. Avoid areas containing high vigour, fast growing grasses such as ryegrass.
When to plant yellow rattle plug plants?
Yellow rattle plugs are delivered in April, ready to be planted out immediately into your garden or meadow. If you are unable to plant straight away, open the box, place in sunlight and keep moist until they can be planted out within a few days.
How far apart to plant many yellow rattle plug plants ?
Ideally, yellow rattle plugs should be planted between 3-5 plugs per sqm. However, lower densities are also suitable for a more sporadic display.
How to prepare the ground to plant yellow rattle plug plants?
Cut any existing grass as short as possible with cuttings removed. Reducing the growth of the existing grass provides more light and space for the plugs to establish.
How to plant yellow rattle plug plants?
Remove the plugs from the tray and make a small hole to put the plug into and place the plug into the hole. Recover with soil and press down firmly around the plant to ensure good contact with the surrounding soil. Lightly water to keep the area moist if required, but avoid over-watering. Yellow rattle is an annual wildflower species and will flower in the year planted, from May onwards.
Why Boston Seeds Yellow Rattle Plug Plants?
Boston Seeds' yellow rattle plugs begin their journey in autumn when fresh yellow rattle seeds from UK meadow collections are sown into individual cells alongside the essential meadow grasses. Cold weather over winter enables vernalisation for the plants to begin growing from early spring, ready for delivery to customers from April for immediate planting.
Boston Seeds' yellow rattle plug plants are always:
- Produced from fresh seed of UK provenance.
- Supplied with first leaves and well-established, healthy root networks.
- Grown with the essential meadow grasses for yellow rattle plugs to thrive.
Buy with confidence from Boston Seeds - the UK's most trusted supplier of native British wildflower seeds for over twenty years.
Delivery Information
We’re proud to offer fast and reliable delivery. Please check the delivery label on each product page for specific delivery timeframes.
Items Marked as Next Day Delivery
- Orders placed before 2pm (Mon–Fri) will be dispatched the same working day with delivery the next working day
- Orders placed after 2pm are dispatched the next working day
- Orders placed after 2pm Friday are dispatched on Monday for Tuesday delivery (excluding Bank Holidays)
- Orders for Saturday delivery must be placed by 2pm Friday
Delivery Combinations
If your order contains a combination of next day and non-next day products, please note only the products marked next day will be delivered next day. The remainder of your order will be delivered within the timescales indicated.
Orders are sent via DHL, DPD, DX, Evri and Royal Mail, plus pallet networks for orders of approximately 100kg+.
| Delivery location | Excl. VAT | Incl. VAT |
| UK inc. Islands & Channel Islands up to 2kg (seed only) | £3.33 | £3.99 |
| Standard UK Mainland Delivery | £4.99 | £5.99 |
| Saturday (England & Wales) up to 30kg* (Orders must be placed by 2pm Friday) | £12.50 | £15.00 |
| Scottish Highlands and Islands up to 30kg* | £14.00 | £16.80 |
| Isle of Man, Isles of Scilly up to 30kg* | £17.00 | £20.40 |
| Channel Islands up to 30kg* | £12.00 | £14.40 |
*please enquire for orders over 30kg to these locations.
Collections
Customers are welcome to purchase items marked as next day delivery in person from our office and distribution centre at:
Manor Road
Kirton
Boston
PE20 1PH
Additional Information
- Orders over 100kg will normally be delivered on a pallet unless specified otherwise.
- Standard delivery takes place between the hours of 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.
- Orders containing multiple items may be delivered separately via multiple couriers.
- Unfortunately, we are unable to deliver to Northern Ireland or Europe.
***Please Note
Dates and indications for delivery are approximate and we cannot guarantee or be held responsible for delays in delivery dates or times. We do not refund delivery charges for delayed deliveries.
Please order from us with enough lead-time to prevent any loss or disappointment resulting from the delivery date or time. Under no circumstance will we be held responsible for any loss or damage incurred through delay in order fulfilment.
Please check that you have entered the correct delivery address before completing your order as we are unable to change it once processed.
CONTACT US
For any queries relating to your order, please contact [email protected]
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