Established plants require no further attention.ĭo not fertilize Indian paintbrush. Thereafter, Indian paintbrush is relatively drought-tolerant and needs only occasional watering. Keep the soil consistently moist for the first year, but don’t let the soil become soggy or waterlogged. Clip the blooms as soon as they wilt if you don’t want the plant to reseed itself. ![]() The plant is slow to germinate and may not make an appearance for as long as three or four months.Ĭolonies of Indian paintbrush will eventually develop if you help the plant by planting seeds every autumn. Plant seeds when the soil is between 55 and 65 degrees F. Indian paintbrush needs full sunlight and well-drained soil. The plant doesn’t do well in a manicured formal garden and has the best chance of success in a prairie or wildflower meadow with other native plants. Growing Indian paintbrush is tricky, but it isn’t impossible. Indian paintbrush tolerates cold winters, but it doesn’t perform well in the warmer climates of USDA zones 8 and above. This is because Indian paintbrush sends roots out to the other plants, then penetrates the roots and “borrows” nutrients it needs in order to survive. This unpredictable wildflower grows when it is planted in close proximity with other plants, primarily grasses or native plants such as penstemon or blue-eyed grass. However, if conditions are right, Indian paintbrush reseeds itself every autumn. The plant is short-lived and dies after it sets seed. Indian paintbrush is a biennial plant that usually develops rosettes the first year and stalks of blooms in spring or early summer of the second year. About the Indian PaintbrushĪlso known as Castilleja, Indian paintbrush wildflowers grow in forest clearings and grasslands across the western and southwestern United States. Growing this wildflower can add interest to the native garden. If you missed last year’s spring bloom, check out this past Field Note to learn more.Indian paintbrush flowers are named for the clusters of spiky blooms that resemble paintbrushes dipped in bright red or orange-yellow paint. The next time you’re exploring the park, be sure to keep an eye out for this bright wildflower! NPS Photo/McKenna Pace: The Woolly Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja foliolosa). Because of the plant’s parasitic nature, you’ll often find the Woolly Indian Paintbrush in close proximity to other native plants, especially Broom Baccharis ( Baccharis sarothoides) and California Sunflower ( Encelia californica). The microscopic hairs on the leaves of this plant is an adaptation to surviving San Diego’s harsh Mediterranean climate these hairs protect from the sun and capture moisture from the air on foggy mornings. Typically reaching heights of 1-3 feet, the Woolly Indian Paintbrush has red to yellow flowers and fuzzy, gray leaves. It thrives in low-elevation, open, arid environments like the coastal sage scrub plant community and is in bloom from March – June. NPS Photo/McKenna Pace: A closeup of Woolly Indian Paintbrush showing the distinct red-yellow flowers.Ĭastilleja foliolosa is a Paintbrush native to California and the northern edge of Baja California. Species within the genus Castilleja are also hemi-parasitic their roots tap into the roots of other plants and steal nutrients from the host plant. However, Indian Paintbrushes sequester the mineral selenium (Se) in their tissues, so their leaves and roots can be very toxic if eaten. Many Native American tribes used Indian Paintbrush flowers as a condiment for food and to treat various ailments. Many species are distinguished by their linear-shaped flowers with bright hues at their tips, giving them the appearance of a paintbrush dipped in paint. With about 200 total species, this group of plants is native and most common to the western Americas from Alaska to Chile. ![]() The Woolly Indian Paintbrush belongs to a large family of wildflowers known generally as Indian Paintbrushes in the genus Castilleja. NPS Photo/McKenna Pace: A Woolly Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja foliolosa) nestled in the coastal sage scrub at Cabrillo National Monument. One such wildflower that pops up every year is called the Woolly Indian Paintbrush ( Castilleja foliolosa). But that doesn’t mean the park is lacking flowers! There are still plenty of bright blooms that catch your eye as you explore the park. Unfortunately, this year’s meager rainfall means we won’t see the same caliber super bloom we were so lucky to see in 2017. Last year’s mighty rainy season brought with it an onslaught of spring blooms at Cabrillo National Monument.
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