Flower profile
Rattlebush
Sesbania drummondii
Rattlebush (Sesbania drummondii) is a low shrub in the Fabaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–September across the U.S.
Rattlebush is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Louisiana
Quick look
Sesbania drummondii, known as poisonbean, rattlebox and rattlebush, is a medium-sized perennial shrub in the legume family Fabaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States, from Texas east to Florida.
- It belongs to the Fabaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 8 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Louisiana. NatureServe
- iNaturalist has 386 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #102 among the 154 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Louisiana
- No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records rattlebush in 8 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas.
Louisiana counties with USDA records: Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Caddo, Calcasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Iberia, Jefferson, LaSalle, Lafayette, Lafourche, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, Sabine, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Washington, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana.
Names, range and relatives
Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Daubentonia drummondii.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 108 counties across 5 states; the most are in Texas (60), Louisiana (39), Mississippi (5).
Other Sesbania on Bloomipedia (1): Scarlet sesbane.
More from the Fabaceae family (114 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lupines, White clover, Red clover, Eastern redbud, Purple crownvetch, Bird's-foot trefoil, Partridge pea, White sweetclover.
More Louisiana flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SEDR.
- iNaturalist, Sesbania drummondii: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Sesbania drummondii (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Sesbania drummondii (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Irvin Louque via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.