Bog Paintbrush, Suksdorf's Paintbrush, Suksdorf's Indian Paintbrush: Castilleja suksdorfii

The photo at left shows a close-up of the inflorescence of Suksdorf's paintbrush on Mt. Adams...........Note the yellowish coloration between the reddish tips of the bracts and the green base of the bracts. This often aids in identification of this species. The photo at right shows Suksdorf's paintbrush as seen along the Bird Creek Meadows Picnic Loop Trail, Mt. Adams, Yakama Nation.........September 3, 2017.

Suksdorf's Paintbrush is a bright, showy wildflower of subalpine meadows which usually arises as solitary stems, usually reaching heights between 30 and 50 cm. The stems and leaves may be smooth or glabrous, but may also be somewhat hairy. Individual leaves are often entire and linear-lanceolate, with the upper leaves often being pitch for in shape due to one or two pairs of pointed lateral lobes (see photo below). These lateral lobes are usually nuch narrower than the mid- section of the leaf.

The inflorescence is at first short and thick, but elongates during the season. The bracts and calyces are marked with bright red, with a narrow band of yellow below the tips (see photos). The bracts are broadly 5-parted and are shorter than the flowers. The corolla is 30 to 50 mm in length, and the galea is much longer than the short, stubby green lower lip (see photo at right). The tubular calyx surrounds the corolla tube and is deeply lobed at its tip, both laterally as well as dorso-ventrally. The tips of each calyx lobe are acute.

Prominent features to aide identification include the long galea in comparison to the short, green lip, and the narrow band of yellow below the bright red tips of the bracts and calyces.

Suksdorf's Paintbrush is named after the well-known student of southern Washington wildflowers, Wilhelm Nikolaus Suksdorf, who spent much time studying the flowers of the Columbia River Gorge and of Mt. Adams.

Castilleja suksdorfii is found in very moist subalpine meadows, especially near springs or along small streams.

Suksdorf's Paintbrush is found in the Cascade Mountains from Mount Adams, Washington in the north to Crater Lake, Oregon in the south.

The photo above shows a close-up of the corolla of Suksdorf's paintbrush as seen along the South Fork Spring Creek on the northern slopes of Mt. Adams.........July 11, 2005. Note the long galea which makes up roughly one-half the length of the corolla tube.

Suksdorf's paintbrush blooming at left along the Round the Mountain Trail #9, southeastern corner of Mount Adams..........August 13, 2013. The photo at right shows Suksdorf's paintbrush in bloom with subalpine daisies (Erigeron glacialis) along Shorthorn Creek at the Shorthorn Trail #16 crossing, Mt. Adams Wilderness......July 7, 2021.

Several close-up images of the inflorescence of Suksdorf's paintbrush as seen at about 4400' at a seep on the ridgetop dividing the Dairy and Cougar Creek drainages at the southeastern corner of Mt. Adams.........June 19, 2005.

The photo above shows a close-up of the galea or beak of the corolla and lateral lobes of the calyx. The galea is very long (14-21 mm long) in relation to the corolla tube below the lower lip (just visible at lower right). The calyx is unequally cleft above and below. The lateral lobes of the calyx are 5-12 mm long and taper gradually to the tip. Photographed at about 4400' at a seep on the ridgetop dividing the Dairy and Cougar Creek drainages at the southeastern corner of Mt. Adams..........July 10, 2005.

The photo at left shows a close-up of a narrowly lanceolate stem leaf of Suksdorf's paintbrush as seen at about 4400' at a seep on the ridgetop dividing the Dairy and Cougar Creek drainages at the southeastern corner of Mt. Adams.........June 19, 2005. Note the single narrow lobe from midleaf. The leaves of Suksdorf's paintbrush typically are entire or with a pair of lobes. The photos at center and at right show Suksdorf'spaintbrush blooming along the uppermost part of the Trail of Wildflowers loop at Bird Creek Meadows, Yakama Nation lands at the southeastern corner of Mount Adams.......August 29, 2022.