Yellow Rattle and Wild Orchid

Yellow Rattle, Rhinanthus minor, can be used to create or restore wildflower meadows, where it maintains species diversity by suppressing dominant grasses and the recycling of soil nutrients. The seed is sown thinly onto grassland from August to November—to germinate the following spring, the seeds need to remain in the soil throughout the winter months.

Here at Ellesmere there is an abundance of wild flowers every year, including many wild orchids, one of which is on show here.