Online Virtual Flora of Wisconsin

Castilleja coccinea (L.) Spreng.

Family: Orobanchaceae

Indian paintbrush, scarlet painted-cup

Janice Stiefel

Steve C. Garske

University of Wisconsin - Madison (WIS-VP)

Open Interactive Map

Etymology: Castilleja: named for Professor Domingo Castillejo, an instructor of botany at Cadiz, Spain
Plants: erect, annual/biennial, 5"-24" tall forb, more or less hairy, usually unbranched; partially parasitic
Leaves: alternate, main leaves can be undivided or divided into 3-5 segments
Flowers: greenish to yellow with scarlet (occasionally yellow/orange), 3-5-lobed bract, 5-parted, tubular-shaped, upper lip sharply triangular covering the 4 stamens, lower lip much shorter and only slightly flaring, the tube long and slender; inflorescence a 1 1/2"-2 1/2", dense, terminal spike becoming 4"-8" long in fruit; blooms May-Aug.
Fruits: oval capsule
Habitat: dry, moderate moisture to wet; prairies, meadows; in sandy, loamy soil
Conservation Status: Native

Damp sandy prairies, sandy-marly flats and swales, sandy lake shores, meadows, fens, marshes, even along roadsides.

Large populations of this species are quite striking. Found throughout the state but mostly absent from the Northern Highlands region.