Scarlet Indian Paintbrush

Castilleja miniata 

Orobanchaceae

• Spokane Native
• Sun: Full sun to part shade
• Mature Size: 1.5–3' tall x 1–1.5' wide
• Drought Tolerance: Low to moderate; prefers moist, well-drained soil
• Habit: Herbaceous perennial; hemiparasitic — requires a living host plant
• Flower: Red or orange bracts surrounding small green true flowers (May–September)
• Wildlife Benefits: Hummingbirds and bees; larval host plant for Euphydryas checkerspot butterflies

Scarlet paintbrush is native across western North America from Alaska to Arizona and east to the Rockies, growing in moist meadows, streambanks, forest openings, and grassy slopes. Like nearly all paintbrushes, it is hemiparasitic: while it photosynthesizes on its own, its roots seek out and tap into the roots of a neighboring host plant (often a grass or another perennial) to draw additional water and nutrients. Because of this dependency, paintbrush cannot simply be planted alone in a pot or bed — it needs an established host growing nearby, and bare-root transplanting frequently kills the plant, which is why it is typically more successful started from seed sown alongside a host species.

The show comes from the bracts, not the true flowers: brilliant scarlet, orange, or pink leaf-like bracts surround small, tubular, yellow-green flowers, creating the plant's signature ragged, brush-dipped-in-paint look atop upright, 1.5- to 3-foot stems.

A favorite of hummingbirds, which are drawn to the tubular flowers, and also visited by bees. The genus is an important larval host for Euphydryas checkerspot butterflies, several of which are species of conservation concern in the region.

Best suited to naturalistic meadow and native plant gardens where it can be planted alongside a compatible host — native bunchgrasses are a reliable, widely recommended choice. Paintbrush purchased or seeded without a nearby host planting is likely to struggle or fail, so pairing it with a grass or established perennial companion at planting time significantly improves its chances of establishing.