Castilleja foliolosa
Woolly paintbrush, Woolly Paintbrush
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Castilleja foliolosa (Woolly paintbrush) is a native California subshrub in the Orobanchaceae family, recognized by woolly felt-like hairs and perennial subshrub habit.
Woolly paintbrush is a California native perennial herb found in northern Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada foothills, central and southwestern California, and the southwestern edge of the Mojave Desert on dry, open, rocky slopes and chaparral edges at elevations below 1,800 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces distinctive orange-red flowers with pale margins, forming showy clusters 3 to 20 centimeters long. Growing 30 to 60 centimeters tall with much-branched stems covered in woolly, felt-like white to gray hairs, it develops short axillary shoots. Its leaves are slender, 10 to 50 millimeters long, with linear shape and 0 to 3 obtuse-tipped lobes. The fruit is 10 to 15 millimeters long with seeds featuring a deeply netted coat with ladder-like walls.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 48 sympatric species; distinguished by woolly felt-like hairs and perennial subshrub habit
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, open, rocky slopes, edges of chaparral
Elevation: < 1800 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Solano, San Benito, Fresno, Lake, Calaveras, Mariposa, Tehama, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sacramento, Monterey, Colusa, Alameda, Napa, San Diego, Ventura, Imperial, Amador, Marin, Sonoma, Kern, Tuolumne, Placer, El Dorado, Stanislaus, Kings, San Joaquin, Glenn, Merced, Yolo, Mendocino, Humboldt, Butte
Outside California: northern Baja California
Bloom period
Castilleja foliolosa blooms Mar-Jun.
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 foliolosa native to California?
Yes. Castilleja foliolosa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Castilleja foliolosa bloom?
Castilleja foliolosa blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Castilleja foliolosa grow?
Castilleja foliolosa occurs in San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, Contra Costa, San Mateo and other counties, at elevations of < 1800 m.
What plant family does Castilleja foliolosa belong to?
Castilleja foliolosa is in the Orobanchaceae family, genus Castilleja.
What habitat does Castilleja foliolosa grow in?
Castilleja foliolosa grows in Dry, open, rocky slopes, edges of chaparral.
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.