[The Broomrape Family in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Paintbrushes of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington

The Genus Castilleja

Wenatchee Mountains Paintbrush, Elmer's Paintbrush: Castilleja elmeri - Common Paintbrush, Scarlet Paintbrush, Scarlet Indian Paintbrush: Castilleja miniata var. miniata (Synonyms: Castilleja crispula, Castilleja miniata ssp. miniata, Castilleja pallida var. miniata)

Wenatchee Mountains Paintbrush: Castilleja elmeri at left. The photo at right shows common paintbrush (Castilleja miniata var. miniata) blooming in a roadside ditch along with fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium) and goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus) along Forest Road 1993 on the east-facing slopes of Horsepasture Mountain, Willamette National Forest.....August 3, 2023.

Paintbrushes of the Cascade Mountains:

Violet Desert Paintbrush: Castilleja angustifolia var. angustifolia - ? One record for the Cascades from atop Larch Mountain, Multnomah County, which doesn't seem like the correct habitat for it.

Applegate's Paintbrush, Wavy-leaf Paintbrush: Castilleja applegatei var. applegatei (Synonym: Castilleja applegatei ssp. applegatei) -

Wavyleaf Paintbrush, Wavy-leaf Paintbrush: Castileja applegatei var. pinetorum (Synonyms: Castilleja applegatei ssp. pinetorum, Castilleja applegatei var. fragilis, Castilleja pinetorum, Castilleja wherryana) -

Cotton Paintbrush, Cobwebby Paintbrush: Castilleja arachnoidea (Synonyms: Castilleja arachnoidea ssp. arachnoidea, Castilleja arachnoidea var. arachnoidea, Castilleja filifolia, Castilleja payneae) - Yellow to reddish-orange bracts. Leaves branch into many segments. Covered with many short hairs. Plants grow in small clumps or clusters.

Attenuate Paintbrush, Narrowleaf Paintbrush, Valley Tassels: Castilleja attenuata (Synonym: Orthocarpus attenuatus) -

Short-lobed Paintbrush: Castilleja brevilobata (Synonym: Castilleja hispida ssp. brevilobata) -

Colleagues Paintbrush: Castilleja collegiorum -

Mount Rainier Paintbrush, Obscure Indian Paintbrush: Castilleja cryptantha -

Elmer's Paintbrush: Castilleja elmeri (Synonym: Castilleja angustifolia var. whitedii) - Yellow bracts. Thin, pointed leaves. Leaf margins entire. Plants frequently solitary.

Acute Paintbrush, Acute-tipped Paintbrush, Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida var. acuta (Synonyms: Castilleja hispida ssp. acuta, Castilleja taedifera) -

Harsh Paintbrush, Harsh Indian Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida var. hispida (Synonyms: Castilleja angustifolia var. abbreviata, Castilleja angustifolia,var. hispida, Castilleja hispida ssp. abbreviata, Castilleja hispida ssp. hispida) - Scarlet bracts, often with green below the tips. Leaves mostly split at tips into 3 thin segments. 6-24 inches tall. Plants frequently solitary.

Cutleaf Paintbrush: Castilleja lacera (Synonym: Orthocarpus lacerus) -

Common Paintbrush, Scarlet Paintbrush, Scarlet Indian Paintbrush: Castilleja miniata var. miniata (Synonyms: Castilleja crispula, Castilleja miniata ssp. miniata, Castilleja pallida var. miniata) - Scarlet bracts. Leaves usually linear & often not split into 3 branches at tip. 6-30 inches tall. Plants frequently solitary.

Pale Paintbrush: Castilleja oresbia -

Mountain Indian Paintbrush, Small-flowered Paintbrush: Castilleja parviflora var. albida (Synonym: Castilleja oreopola ssp. albida) -

Magenta Paintbrush: Castilleja parviflora var. oreopola (Synonyms: Castilleja miniata var. alpina, Castilleja oreopola) - Magenta, sometimes purplish bracts. Leaves split into 3- 5 segments. Grows in clumps . 6-12 inches tall.

Peck's Paintbrush: Castilleja peckiana -

Frosted Paintbrush, Frosted Indian Paintbrush: Castilleja pruinosa -

Cliff Paintbrush, Cliff Indian Paintbrush: Castilleja rupicola - Bright scarlet bracts. Leaves split into 5 segments. Herbace is hairy. Grows in prostrate to somewhat erect clumps . 6-9 inches tall.

Split-hair Paintbrush: Castilleja schizotricha (Castilleja arachnoidea ssp. schizotricha) -

Suksdorf's Paintbrush, Bog Paintbrush, Suksdorf's Indian Paintbrush: Castilleja suksdorfii - Bracts and calyces bright red with a narrow yellow strip below the tips. Plants to 20 inches. Wildflowers of moist, subalpine meadows.

Annual White Paintbrush, Hairy Owl Clover, Hairy Indian Paintbrush, Thin Paintbrush: Castilleja tenuis (Synnonyms: Orthocarpus hispidus, Orthocarpus rarior, Orthocarpus tenuis, Triphysaria hispida) -

Thompson's Indian Paintbrush, Thompson's Paintbrush, Thompson's Owl Clover: Castilleja thompsonii (Synonym: Castilleja villicaulis) - Yellowish-green bracts. Plants 6-12 inches tall. Found in the foothills on the east side of the Washington Cascades.


Paul Slichter