Hairy rattleweed is a perennial legume with heart-shaped leaves clasping the stem. It is light gray and covered with dense, cobwebby hairs. This plant is endemic to Wayne and Brantley Counties, Georgia. Its native habitat is open pine flatwoods with seasonally wet, sandy soils. It does especially well in recently burned areas. It sometimes persists along roads and powerlines or in pine plantations. Mechanical site preperation destroys these plants. It is designated an endangered species by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as well as by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. For more information please visit the State Botanical Gardens of Georgia endangered plant stewardship website at: www.uga.edu/botgarden/GEPSN.html
