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Pursh's Rattlebox

Crotalaria purshii

Found in moist to dry pinelands, sandy openings, roadsides. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

55
Strong

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height
Up to about 1.5 feet
Light
Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to moist
Will it fit your yard?

Rare or protected plant. Specialist conservation planting; excluded from routine garden suggestions. Plant caution source

Hidden from default planting suggestions. Wildlife value and native status remain unchanged.

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
May to July
Fruiting season
July to September

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 8 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 120 animals.

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

7CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Crotalaria

  • Amyna strictaEight-Spot Moth
  • Callophrys irusThe Hoary Elfin, Bog Elfin?, Frosted Elfin
  • Gesta baptisiaeWild Indigo Duskywing, Baptisia Duskywing
  • Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
  • Phoebis sennaeCloudless Sulphur
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Utetheisa ornatrixOrnate Moth, Pink Underwing, Rattlebox Moth, Bella Moth
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
14BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Crotalaria

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
2BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Crotalaria

  • Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
  • Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Fabaceae
Flower color
Yellow
Fruit begins
July
Fruit ends
September
Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Coastal Plain Rattlebox; Purshs Rattlebox

Conservation status

Virginia rankS1
Global rankG5
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources