Castilleja minor
An annual hemiparasitic herb of the Orobanchaceae native to western North America, with slender unbranched stems, narrow green leaves, glandular-pubescent foliage, and showy red-tipped bracts subtending flowers, occurring in desert or dry shrubland biomes as well as moist meadows and riparian areas
Common Names
Lesser Indian Paintbrush, Indian Paintbrush, Annual Paintbrush, Lesser Paintbrush, Alkali Indian Paintbrush
Summary
Lesser Indian Paintbrush is an annual herb in the broomrape family native to western North America from British Columbia to New Mexico. It is an upright, mostly unbranched plant with narrow leaves and a terminal spike of red bracts; the inflorescence appears red due to the bracts, with flowers having a yellow upper lip and a small red-violet-teethed lower lip; the plant is glandular-pubescent and produces numerous seeds in capsules.
It grows in full sun on moist habitats such as wet meadows, streambanks, and wetlands at elevations roughly 3,000–7,500 ft, with blooms typically from June to August. It reproduces by seeds; wildlife value includes supporting caterpillars and butterflies, making it suitable for wildlife-friendly plantings.
Lifecycle
Annual; dies after the growing season; seeds in seed bank.
Height
8 inches - 4 feet
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun.
Soil Type
Moist soils
Soil Drainage
Moist soils
Bloom Color
Red
Bloom Time
Summer
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Orange, Green
Growth Rate
Annual
Seasons of Interest
Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds; no vegetative reproduction.
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts butterflies
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (A.Gray) A.Gray
- Publication
- Bot. California 1: 573 (1876)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Lamiales
- Family
- Orobanchaceae
- Genus
- Castilleja
Inferior Taxa
Castilleja minor var. spiralis Castilleja minor var. exilis Castilleja minor var. minor Castilleja minor var. stenantha