Crotalaria pallida Seeds | Smooth Rattlebox
LATIN NAME: Crotalaria pallida
COMMON NAME: Smooth Rattlebox
Plant Profile
Crotalaria pallida, better known as Smooth Rattlebox, is an annual in the pea family, native to tropical Africa, it has become naturalized throughout the tropics now more so as an ornamental. It likes sun, and well-drained soil. During flowering it gives bees and other insects a dependable food source. Each of these traits is modest on its own; together they make a garden-worthy plant.
Science & Biotechnology
Like other members of the pea family, Crotalaria pallida draws steady attention from botanists and plant breeders, who value the genus both as a subject of research and as a source of garden-worthy material. Nitrogen-fixing roots of smooth rattlebox give it a recognised place in research on warm-climate green-manure legumes of pea family, and pallida species appears in studies of cover-crop habit and seed chemistry. With present-day seed handling, raising this species well within the reach of any careful grower.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Smooth Rattlebox for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. In warm garden, smooth rattlebox rattles warm season with inflated pods. Plant covers ground and enriches soil for next crop, yellow flowers feed bees, and pods add the curiosity. It grows well in well-drained, sunny ground. Given the right start, it carries on with minimal intervention.
Rattlepods are soil-building green manures that fix nitrogen and suppress nematodes; they contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, so they are field improvers, never forage or food.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed of Smooth Rattlebox under ordinary good conditions. Level a tray of loose seed compost, sow evenly, cover to about the seed’s own depth, and keep it moist in full light. Pot the young plants on as they grow, harden them off gradually, and plant them into their final positions when sturdy.
Our Take
Smooth Rattlebox repays a little patience at sowing time with plenty of garden presence later.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Smooth Rattlebox often pair it with these related subjects: