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Red wildflowers of western USA: Castilleja angustifolia, desert indian paintbrush: A common species inhabiting semi-desert locations from Montana to New Mexico.
Color: Red-orange. Common name: Desert Indian Paintbrush. Latin name: Castilleja chromosa or angustifolia. Family: OROBANCHACEAE. Height: 12 to 18 inches. Description: Castilleja chromosa/angustifolia has bristly gray-green to purple-red herbage.
Indian paintbrush is an attractive member of the parasitic Broomrape family (Orobancaceae). This species was formerly placed in the Figwort family (Scrophullariaceae), which was a hodgepodge of genera that didn’t fit well in other families.
- Indian Paintbrush Care
- Types of Indian Paintbrush
- Growing Indian Paintbrush from Seed
- Common Pests and Plant Diseases
- How to Get Indian Paintbrush to Bloom
Here are the main care requirements for growing Indian paintbrush: 1. Plant in full sun for best results. 2. Choose a location with moist, well-drained soil that's on the sandy side. 3. Water younger plants consistently but do not make the soil soggy. 4. Watch for extreme heat conditions from the sun which can cause the plant to decline, however mo...
Castilleja ambigua 'Johnny-nip': This variety boasts bracts in yellow, white, pink, or purple and is commonly found in the coastal salt marshes or wet meadows of California.Castilleja angustifolia 'Desert Indian Paintbrush': This plant sports gray-green to purple-red foliage and bright red bracts covering yellow flowers. As suggested by its name, these flowers thrive...Castilleja cinerea 'Ashgray Indian Paintbrush':This varietyis native to San Bernardino County, California. The Ashgray Indian paintbrush gets its name from the coat of gray hairs it wears. These fu...The best way to grow Indian paintbrush is through seed. These plants do not transplant well because of their connection to other surrounding plants. After flowering, the plant produces very tiny seeds before dying to reseed themselves. Sow seeds in early spring or late summer, when soil temperatures are around 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit during the...
Indian Paintbrush is a relatively trouble-free plant. It is naturally resistant to most pests and diseases.
Bloom Months
Bloom time is inconsistent, but you may spot blooms and bracts between February and May. Some regions may see blooms and bracts in July.
What do Indian Paintbrush Flowers Look and Smell Like?
Indian paintbrush flowers are unique in that they have bracts (pseudo leaves) that look like petals that were dipped in reddish-orange paint. What you are seeing are not the actual flowers of the plant, which are tiny and insignificant, but the bracts that are protecting the blossoms. The more flowers you have, the more bracts you will see. Blooms and bracts can be unpredictable in color, producing vibrant foliage one year and dull the next or vice-versa. This plant does not have a fragrance.
How to Encourage More Blooms
Make sure the plants are not overwatered or there will be no blooms and fewer bracts. Full sun, but not scorching sunlight, will encourage more blooms and bracts.
- Castilleja coccinea
- Biennial
Common Name: Indian Paintbrush Family: Orobanchaceae. Duration: Annual or perennial Size: 12 to 18 inches. Growth Form: Forb/herb, subshrub; Plants produce many stems, each topped by the inflorescence; bright red bracts, especially rich in color, and narrow tubular flowers, about one inch long.
Castilleja, commonly known as paintbrush, Indian paintbrush, or prairie-fire, is a genus of about 200 species of annual and perennial mostly herbaceous plants native to the west of the Americas from Alaska south to the Andes, northern Asia, and one species as far west as the Kola Peninsula in northwestern Russia.
People also ask
What is Indian paintbrush?
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How to grow Indian paintbrush?
May 31, 2023 · Native to the American Southwest, Indian paintbrush (Castilleja spp.) colors a meadow or woodland garden with showy clusters of red-orange leaves (aka bracts) in late spring or early summer. The colorful bracts, which resemble paintbrushes dipped in paint, mask the plant’s actual flowers.
