Rio Grande Botanic Garden - Species of the Month

Indian Paintbrush - Castilleja spp.

Where in the world? Western United States and northern Mexico in sunny areas of mountain meadows, stream banks, open woods, semi-desert, high desert and roadsides.  

What’s in a name:  It is easy to see why the plant received its name 'paintbrush'. The tops look like they are dipped in bright paint. The scientific genus name 'Castilleja' honors Domingo Castillejo (1744-1793), Spanish botanist, in Cadiz, Spain.

Paintbrush anatomy: The attractive "flowers" that we admire are actually leaf-like parts, the bracts and sepals. The flower petals themselves are fused in a long, narrow tube that is often greenish-yellow and tipped in the same colored as the showy bracts and sepals. The reproductive parts protrude from the tube parts. Castilleja plants come in red, orange, yellow, white or cream and purple. They bloom from April to September.

History: The paintbrush evokes the Native American legend of a young brave who tried to paint the sunset with his war paints. Frustrated that he could not match the brilliance of nature, he asked for guidance from the Great Spirit. The Great Spirit gave him paintbrushes laden with the colors he so desired. With these, he painted his masterpiece and left the spent brushes in fields across the landscape. These brushes sprouted the flowers we now admire.

FACT-scinating! Paintbrush is hemi-parisitic. If its roots encounter roots of other plants they will penetrate those roots for nourishment.