Castilleja subinclusa
A California- and Baja California-native perennial herb in the Orobanchaceae family, with 30–120 cm tall stems, gray-green to purple lanceolate leaves, and a long inflorescence of bright red to orange-red bracts with a yellow-green beak-like corolla, found in chaparral and foothill woodland habitats across two subspecies.
Common Names
Longleaf Indian Paintbrush, Franciscan Paintbrush, Paintbrush
Summary
Native to California and northern Baja California, this perennial herb grows 18–120 cm tall from a woody caudex onto a taproot, with gray-green to purple puberulent foliage. The inflorescence reaches up to 40 cm and comprises long red to red-orange bracts with yellow-green to pinkish, hairy flowers arising between them.
Three subspecies occur across the range: franciscana in coastal California, jepsonii in southern California and nearby areas, and subinclusa in sw California, occupying coastal scrub, desert scrub, foothill woodlands, chaparral, and pine-oak woodlands; it is a native plant with conservation status Vulnerable and is noted as useful in bird gardens.
Lifecycle
Perennial, Annual
Height
0.5-4 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 6-9
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun.
Soil Type
Dry, sandy or rocky soil
Soil Drainage
Well-drained
Soil pH
6.00-7.80
Bloom Color
Yellow-green to pinkish
Bloom Time
Winter to Summer
Foliage Color
Gray-green to purple
Fall Foliage Color
Red, Orange
Leaf Lifecycle
Semi-deciduous
Growth Rate
Unknown
Seasons of Interest
Winter, Spring, Summer
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts butterflies, Attracts birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Greene
- Publication
- Pittonia 4: 2 (1901)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Lamiales
- Family
- Orobanchaceae
- Genus
- Castilleja
Inferior Taxa
Castilleja subinclusa var. franciscana Castilleja subinclusa var. subinclusa Castilleja subinclusa var. jepsonii