Castilleja coccinea
An eastern North American hemiparasitic annual or biennial wildflower with bright red bracts that nearly obscure greenish flowers, thriving in sunny, moist to well-drained soils and attracting hummingbirds and bees.
Common Names
Indian Paintbrush, Painted Cup, Scarlet Indian Paintbrush, Scarlet Painted-Cup, Scarlet Paintbrush, Paintbrush
Summary
Castilleja coccinea, commonly known as Scarlet Indian Paintbrush, is an herbaceous annual or biennial hemiparasitic wildflower native to North America, it forms a basal rosette in year one and produces an upright flowering stalk in year two, reaching roughly 20 to 60 cm tall, with a showy inflorescence of dense spikes of scarlet, orange, or yellow bracts that surround small greenish-yellow flowers, giving the appearance of a paintbrush dipped in color and attracting pollinators such as hummingbirds and bees, cultivation favors full sun and well-drained soils with medium moisture, it is semi-parasitic, obtaining nutrients from host plant roots while photosynthesizing, propagation is by seed, with germination after two to three months of moist and cold stratification, seeds are very small, and transplantation is usually fatal, so direct sowing is preferred, the plant reseeds only under optimum conditions and may require repeated sowings to maintain a garden colony, it suits native plant gardens, prairies, and glades and is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8, while attracting hummingbirds and bees
Lifecycle
Biennial
Height
9-24 inches
Spread
12-18 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 4-8
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally Full Sun, tolerates Partial Sun and Partial Shade, in southern states may need Partial Shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained soil with medium moisture, preferably sandy or loamy.
Soil Drainage
No single ideal drainage; tolerates a wide range from very dry to wet (seepy) soils.
Soil pH
Around pH 6.5; slightly acidic to neutral soil.
Bloom Color
Red
Bloom Time
Spring
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
No fall foliage color
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Medium growth rate.
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, Attracts hummingbirds, Attracts butterflies, Attracts other pollinators, Attracts birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (L.) Spreng.
- Publication
- Syst. Veg., ed. 16. 2: 775 (1825)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Lamiales
- Family
- Orobanchaceae
- Genus
- Castilleja
Synonyms
Rhinanthus coccineus Bartsia coccinea Castilleja coccinea f. alba Castilleja coccinea f. pallens Castilleja ludoviciana Euchroma coccinea Castilleja coccinea f. coccinea Bartsia coccinea var. pallens Castilleja coccinea f. lutescens