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Plant Description and Details
Memorable for its fiery scarlet leaf bracts, Indian Paintbrush adds a splash of color to mountain meadows and trails from July to September. Indeed, it looks like artist's brushes, dipped in red paint and set upside down. It will add gorgeous accentcolor to the pallette of a landscape. Paintbrush roots are parasitic, attaching to a nearby host plant by haustoria roots that take nutrients from the host plant. Ours come already growing with a host plant of a native grass or perennial.
| Common Names | Scarlet Indian Paintbrush |
| Community | Mountain |
| Annual Water Needs | 20-30 inches |
| Drought Tolerant | Yes |
| Native Range | Meadows, lowlands to medium elevations, throughout the western U.S. |
| Native States | CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY |
| Hardiness | Down to Zone 5 |
| Exposure | Sun |
| Soil Preference | Various |
| Placement | Accent in flowerbeds, rock gardens, or naturalized areas. Requires companion plant. |
| Mature Height | 1 - 2 ft. |
| Mature Width | 10 in. |
| Group Spacing | 15-30 in. |
| Blossom Color | Scarlet/Bright Red |
| Blooms | Summer |
| Establishment Tips | Water at planting and 2-3 times deeply the first summer. |
| Maintenance Tips | Needs a parasitic relationship with a nearby host plant (grass or other perennial) to gather nutrients. Mow or cut back when winter dormant. |
| Wildlife Notes | Important browse for deer. Red bracts attract hummingbirds. |
| Plants Symbol | CAMI12 |
| Family Name | Scrophulariaceae |
| Lewis & Clark | No |
