North Carolina Wildflowers

Fabaceae > Sesbania (rattlebox, sesban)

Common in the eastern half of NC, it's unclear whether this plant is native to the state or only to deeper south. Bigpod Sesbania is a tall herb, growing in wet ditches and similar habitats to 4 meters tall!

Many leaflets help distinguish this plant from Glottidium.

Note the American Bird Grasshopper hiding behind the stem.

Long immature seed pods dangle from this individual.

Common in wet habitats includind ditches, marshes, etc. in the North Carolina coastal plain. Believed to be introduced from South America, this species has also been classified as Daubentonia punicea.

When seed pods mature and dry, the seeds inside rattle, hence the common name. Note, however, that the seeds are highly toxic and eating them could be fatal!

Mature seed pods.

Older stems become woody.

Planted as an ornamental, Rattlebox is very pretty but it escapes to invade nearby areas where it chokes out native vegetation.