How to Grow and Care for Indian paintbrush

Giant red Indian paintbrush (Castilleja miniata) is a perennial herb wildflower that exhibits a parasitic dependence on other plants. Giant red Indian paintbrush attaches itself to the roots of other plants and takes the nutrients it needs. Giant red Indian paintbrush grows in meadows, forest clearings and woodland areas.

The common name for entireleaf Indian paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa) arose because this plant looks like a paintbrush with paint on it. The roots of this plant spread out underground until they reach the roots of other plants. Then, they intertwine with the roots of their host plant to derive nourishment from it. That's the reason why botanists call this plant "semi-parasitic."

Field indian paintbrush (Castilleja arvensis) is an annual herbaceous semi-parasitic plant native to Mexico and Central and South America. It is also naturalized in Hawaii. The plant is a partial root parasite of nearby plants. Because of the bright red flowers, the entire genus Castilleja is sometimes called Prairie fire.

Coast indian paintbrush (Castilleja affinis) is a perennial herb native to the west coast of North America. It has bright reddish-orange flowers that bloom in spring. Attracts butterflies, moths and caterpillars. Commonly found growing from California to Washington. Requires full sun and thrives in rocky, sandy soil.

Wyoming Indian-Paintbrush (Castilleja linariifolia) is a perennial wildflower that will grow to 91 cm tall. It blooms from summer to fall with scarlet red to reddish-orange flowers and yellow spikes that extend past the blooms. Flowers attract butterflies moths and caterpillars. Wyoming Indian-Paintbrush is the state flower of Wyoming in the U.S.