ExplorePlants

Painted-cup Paintbrush

Castilleja coccinea

The Painted-cup Paintbrush is a bright and colorful flower that looks like a paintbrush dipped in paint! It grows in sunny places and attracts butterflies and bees with its vibrant colors.

Habitat: Grasslands

Appearance

The Painted-cup Paintbrush has vibrant, flame-like clusters of red, orange, or yellow bracts at the top of its stems. These showy, leaf-like structures largely overshadow the true, tiny green flowers nestled within. Its striking, brush-stroke appearance makes it easily recognizable in meadows.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderLamialesFamilyOrobanchaceaeGenusCastilleja
Painted-cup Paintbrush
flowering trait badgebiennial trait badgespring_blooming trait badgesummer_blooming trait badge
Painted-cup Paintbrush

Category

Plants

Rarity

Common

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Snaps

Be the first to snap!

Interesting facts

Hummingbirds love to visit these plants, drinking sweet nectar from deep inside the blossoms.

Its real flowers are tiny green tubes, completely hidden by the brilliant colored 'leaves'!

Some Native American cultures traditionally used its vibrant colors to make beautiful dyes.

This plant is a 'hemiparasite', secretly borrowing water and nutrients from its neighbors!

Special abilities

Ability

Root Sharer

Painted-cup Paintbrush can connect its roots to nearby plants, stealing their water and nutrients to help it thrive in tough soils.

Ability

Hummingbird Beacon

Painted-cup Paintbrush has brilliant red and orange bracts that mimic petals, helping it attract pollinators like hummingbirds from afar.

Measurements & details

Height
20-60 cm
Spread
10-20 cm
Flower Size
1-2 cm
Bloom Season
Spring to summer
Edible
No
Toxicity
Mild
Lifecycle
Perennial
Pollination Method
Bird

Ecological connections

Traits

Also known as

No aliases listed yet.

Collections

Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Don't pick flowers without asking an adult, so they can keep growing for everyone to enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall is Painted-cup Paintbrush?

20-60 cm

How wide does Painted-cup Paintbrush spread?

10-20 cm

How big are the flowers on Painted-cup Paintbrush?

1-2 cm

When does Painted-cup Paintbrush bloom?

Spring to summer

Is Painted-cup Paintbrush edible?

No

Is Painted-cup Paintbrush toxic?

Mild

What is Painted-cup Paintbrush's lifecycle?

Perennial

How is Painted-cup Paintbrush pollinated?

Bird

Snap Map

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