scarlet Indian paintbrush
Castilleja coccinea · Scrophulariaceae
scarlet Indian paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea) is a annual herbaceous plant in the Scrophulariaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 4 and warmer, down to about -28°F.
At a glance
| Type | forb-herb USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | annual USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 1.6 ft USDA |
| Light | shade USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 4.9–6.8 USDA |
| Bloom | April–May USDA |
| Flower color | Red USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 4 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | herb-layer Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It tolerates full shade. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated low. It is recorded on soils from pH 4.9 to 6.8 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 4.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 1.6 ft, making it about knee height. It grows quickly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of April through May. Flowers are red.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, fine in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its active growth period is spring and summer.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 25 to 55 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 75 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 8 inches. Fertility requirement: low — no feeding needed on ordinary garden soil.
Propagating it
Seed is the only propagation method USDA lists. Division and cuttings are not listed as options. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a moderate rate. It does not spread vegetatively, so it will stay where you put it.
Resilience and wildlife
Its fire tolerance is rated none. Its growth form is recorded as single crown.
Role in a guild
Herb layer. In a layered planting this is the herbaceous middle — perennials and grasses that fill the space between ground cover and shrubs. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Castilleja
- northwestern Indian paintbrush Castilleja angustifolia
- wavyleaf Indian paintbrush Castilleja applegatei
- harsh Indian paintbrush Castilleja hispida
- downy paintedcup Castilleja sessiliflora
Similar role and hardiness
- Columbian monkshood Aconitum columbianum
- Colorado blue columbine Aquilegia coerulea
- mountain brome Bromus marginatus
- eastern woodland sedge Carex blanda
- Nuttall's reedgrass Calamagrostis coarctata
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol CACO17, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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