Rattlebox, Spanish Gold

Sesbania punicea is a woody shrub that can grow up to 15 feet in height. The bark is covered with lenticels and is gray to reddish brown in color. Leaves are alternate, compound, 5 to 7 inches long. There are 7 to 16 pairs of small, oppositely arranged, elliptical 1 inch long leaflets. The fruit and flowers of rattlebox are characteristic of those in the legume family. Flowers are ½ to 1 inch long, are orange-red in color, and hang in clusters. Seed pods are 3 to 4 inches long and dark brown with longitudinal wings. There are 3 to 9 seeds per pod and make a rattling sound when shaken. Sesbania spreads by seed and allows the plant to easily escaped cultivation. Many seeds are produced per plant, which are readily dispersed by water. Seed pods may also persist on the plant through the winter.