Castilleja cervina
A perennial hemiparasitic herb with a woody caudex, a yellowish bracted terminal spike with hairy calyces, native to Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Canada, growing in dry grasslands, rocky slopes, and open forests at moderate to mid elevations, with June–July blooms pollinated by bumblebees, bees, and hummingbirds.
Common Names
Deer Indian Paintbrush, Deer Paintbrush
Summary
Deer paintbrush is a perennial hemiparasitic herb native to southern British Columbia, Idaho, and Washington, east of the Cascades crest. It has a woody caudex with several erect, branched stems 3–6 dm tall; the inflorescence is a bracted terminal spike with yellowish bracts broader than the leaves (3–5 lobes), a two-lipped, yellow tubular corolla 18–25 mm long exserted from a hairy calyx 15–20 mm, and four stamens; flowers appear in June–July and are pollinated by bumblebees, bees, and hummingbirds, producing capsules with many seeds. It grows in dry grasslands, rocky slopes and open forests in steppe and montane zones, with soils ranging from xeric to mesic.
Elevation commonly ranges from 603–1453 m; habitat includes open pine forests and grasslands, rocky balds, and dry subalpine meadows, with soils described as xeric to mesic; conservation status is global rank G4.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
12-23.5 inches
Spread
Unknown
Hardiness Zones
Zones unknown
Sunlight Requirements
Sunlight requirements unknown.
Soil Type
Unknown soil type.
Soil Drainage
Well-drained
Soil pH
Unknown
Bloom Color
Green; rarely pale purple
Bloom Time
Summer
Foliage Color
Green, sometimes purplish.
Fall Foliage Color
Unknown
Leaf Lifecycle
Other
Growth Rate
Unknown growth rate
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds (capsule with many tiny seeds)
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Greenm.
- Publication
- Bot. Gaz. 25: 269 (1898)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Lamiales
- Family
- Orobanchaceae
- Genus
- Castilleja