Yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor is a semi-parasitic annual plant whose roots attach to neighbouring grasses, drawing nutrients and water from them. Because vigorous grasses dominate fertile soils, they often outcompete slower-growing wildflowers by shading them out. Yellow rattle naturally suppresses grass growth, reducing the density and height of coarse grasses by up to 30-50%. Species such as knapweed, oxeye daisy, bird’s-foot trefoil and orchids often increase once yellow rattle is established. In effect, it helps restore the balance between grasses and flowering plants typical of species-rich hay meadows.
Alex Hyde is one of Britain’s leading exponents of close-up nature photography. His award-winning images portray a hidden world of extraordinary beauty. “To this day I delight in revealing tiny details of subjects that would be missed by the naked eye. Many of my pictures involve photographing moving subjects smaller than a grain of rice. Nature provides me with an endless array of fascinating subjects.”
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