Castilleja peirsonii

Peirson's paintbrush

Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Peirson's paintbrush is a California native perennial found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and high Cascade Range in montane to alpine meadows at elevations of 1,500 to 3,400 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces bright red bracts with yellow-green flowers 15 to 28 millimeters long, creating a vibrant display in high-elevation habitats. Growing 15 to 40 centimeters tall with a somewhat glabrous to hairy stem, it develops an elegant upright form in alpine meadow environments. Its leaves are 15 to 50 millimeters long, lanceolate to oblong, with 0 to 5 slender lobes that complement the striking red and yellow-green inflorescence. The plant produces small fruits 6 to 9 millimeters long, with seeds that have a delicate, loose-fitting netted coat.

Habitat: Montane to alpine meadows

Bloom period: Jul-Aug

Elevation: 1500-3400 m

Bioregions: CaRH, SNH

California counties: Inyo, Fresno, Mono, Madera, El Dorado, Tulare, Plumas, Mariposa, Placer, Nevada, Tuolumne

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.