Castilleja applegatei
Pine indian paintbrush
(c) Rob Santry, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Castilleja applegatei (Pine indian paintbrush) is a native California subshrub in the Orobanchaceae family.
Pine indian paintbrush is a California native perennial found in mountain and foothill regions with diverse conifer and open woodland habitats at elevations of 1,500 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces bright red to yellow-tinged flowers in dense bracts 15 to 25 millimeters long with distinctive wavy-margined appearance. Growing with few-branched green stems 20 to 70 centimeters tall, the plant is covered in short glandular and long non-glandular hairs that give it a sticky, textured surface. Its lanceolate leaves are generally wavy-edged, ranging 20 to 70 millimeters in length, with a variable green coloration. The fruits are elongated capsules 8 to 15 millimeters long, containing small seeds with a distinctive ladder-like surface coating.
Habitat and range
California counties: Mendocino, San Bernardino, Tulare, Mono, El Dorado, Tuolumne, Los Angeles, Trinity, Plumas, Shasta, Del Norte, Nevada, Kern, Inyo, Riverside, Butte, San Diego, Amador, Alpine, Sierra, Siskiyou, Modoc, Colusa, Fresno, Mariposa, Lassen, Placer, Ventura, Tehama, Lake, Humboldt, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Madera, Napa, Yuba, Calaveras, Yolo, Marin
How to tell it apart
vs Triphysaria: Castilleja lacks the sharp fold in flower throat; Triphysaria has abrupt crease above lower lip.; vs Trifolium: Castilleja has tubular flowers with colorful bracts; Trifolium has round heads of pea-like flowers and three leaflets.; vs Pedicularis: Castilleja has open forward beak and colorful bracts; Pedicularis has closed hood and fern-like leaves.; vs Orthocarpus: Castilleja has open beak you can see into; Orthocarpus has closed hood covering stamens completely.; vs Epilobium: Castilleja has tubular two-lipped flowers and colorful bracts; Epilobium has four separate petals arranged in cross.
Frequently asked questions
Is Castilleja applegatei native to California?
Yes. Castilleja applegatei is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Castilleja applegatei grow?
Castilleja applegatei occurs in Mendocino, San Bernardino, Tulare, Mono, El Dorado, Tuolumne, Los Angeles, Trinity and other counties.
What plant family does Castilleja applegatei belong to?
Castilleja applegatei is in the Orobanchaceae family, genus Castilleja.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.