Rabbit Bells (Crotalaria rotundifolia)

Description:   Perennial herbaceous plant to 6-8 inches, semi-succulent leaves and small yellow flowers. Like its larger relative the Rattlebox (Crotalaria pumila), it's ripe seeds will "rattle" in the pods, but it is a longer-lived and slower-growing. 

Natural Habitat:  Open pinelands (including Pine Rocklands), coastal and other sandy areas. Occurs from the Keys to well north of Okeechobee.

Planting and Care:   Needs full sunlight to flower best, but tolerates partial shade.  Does not like constantly wet soil. Tolerates drought once established, and also salt spray.

Pros: Perennial. Tolerates poor and dry soil once established, and salt spray. Host plant for the day-flying Ornate Bella Moth (Utetheisa ornatrix), whose caterpillars eat the unripe seeds, and the Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus).  Self seeds in open ground. 

Cons: Small plant and flower size, can be overgrown by larger wildflowers.

Photo by Roger Hammer