Wyoming paintbrush

What does Wyoming paintbrush look like?

Wyoming paintbrush grows as a tall, upright perennial, usually between 18 and 100 centimeters but sometimes reaching up to 2 meters. Its stems can be hairless or covered in fine, bristly hairs. The narrow leaves are mostly gray-green or yellow, sometimes tinged purple, and may have a few side lobes. The top of each stem is crowned with a cluster of colorful bracts—most often red or orange, but also yellow, pink, magenta, or white. The true flowers are tubular and partly hidden inside these bracts. The plant blooms from spring into autumn.

Where does Wyoming paintbrush come from?

This species is native to the western United States, from the Rockies to the Pacific, and the state of Sonora in Mexico. It was first described by George Bentham in 1846, based on a specimen collected in the Laramie Mountains. Wyoming paintbrush is found in habitats like sagebrush steppe, grasslands, rocky slopes, and open woodlands, often at elevations from 600 to 3,400 meters. It is widespread in Wyoming, present in most counties, and also grows in states like Montana, Idaho, Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado.

When and how Wyoming paintbrush blooms

Wyoming paintbrush blooms from April to October, depending on location. It thrives in dry, rocky soils and open areas, often among sagebrush or in grasslands. The plant grows from a woody base and taproot, sending up several stems each season. It is a hemiparasite, meaning it draws some nutrients from the roots of nearby plants. Seeds are sometimes included in wildflower mixes for southwestern gardens, but moving established plants from the wild is rarely successful.

How Wyoming paintbrush is used

Chosen as Wyoming’s state flower in 1917, this wildflower is a local emblem and appears in art among the Tewa people, who depict its red blooms on pottery and carvings. The Shoshone have used it in traditional medicine, boiling the roots for various treatments. The plant is also important for wildlife, serving as a food source for butterflies such as Edith’s checkerspot.

Kinds of Wyoming paintbrush

There are no officially recognized varieties of Castilleja linariifolia, but it has several synonyms and shares some common names with related species. A rare relative, Castilleja christii, is a hybrid between Wyoming paintbrush and giant red paintbrush, and has yellow to orange bracts. The plant is sometimes confused with other paintbrush species, but can be told apart by details of its sepals and bracts.

What Wyoming paintbrush means

Wyoming paintbrush became the state flower after a campaign led by Dr. Grace Raymond Hebard. Some botanists objected, noting it is hard to identify and difficult to grow in gardens. Despite this, it remains a symbol of Wyoming. Among the Tewa, its image is used in crafts and art. The plant’s role as a hemiparasite and its striking appearance have made it both admired and debated.

Questions people ask about Wyoming paintbrush

Good reading and sources

• USDA Plants DatabaseUS Department of Agriculture, Article
• Library of Congress CatalogLibrary of Congress, Article
• Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plant database
• Where it has been recordedGBIF, Plant database
• Sightings and photos by naturalistsiNaturalist, Plant database

• Castilleja linariifolia on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data