Woolly Indian paintbrush
The red is not petals, and the plant is not feeding itself. Both facts take some getting used to.
In brief
Castilleja foliolosa, Orobanchaceae.
- Evergreen subshrub
- Native to California and Baja California
- Flowers March to June
- Fruit a capsule
Where it grows
Dry chaparral slopes.
When it blooms
March to June.
Seed and fruit
A capsule holding many small seeds.
Here
Photographed on March 22, 2025 among grey-woolly foliage. Two things are going on. The scarlet is bracts, not petals: the actual flowers are the narrow green tubes tucked inside them. And the plant is a hemiparasite, tapping the roots of neighboring shrubs for water and nutrients, which is why it cannot be transplanted on its own and why it is always found in company.
By Yggdrasil Springs
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