Castilleja subinclusa subsp. subinclusa

Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: perennial · Native

scarlet paintbrush is a California native perennial found in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, Tehachapi, southern Coast Ranges, western Transverse Ranges, southern Great Basin, and southern Peninsular Ranges in open chaparral at elevations up to 2,200 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces distinctive red flowers with long-tapered calyx lobes that curve barely upward. Growing with erect stems 15 to 45 centimeters tall, it forms clumps in dry, exposed areas. Its leaves are narrow and lance-shaped, typically green and somewhat hairy, arranged alternately along the stem. The plant's vibrant red inflorescence and corolla make it a striking feature of its chaparral habitat.

Habitat: Open chaparral

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: < 2200 m

Bioregions: SNF, Teh, SCoRI, WTR, SnGb, s PR

California counties: Kern, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Los Angeles, Butte, San Bernardino, San Diego, Placer, El Dorado, San Benito, Fresno, Santa Barbara, Amador, Tulare, Calaveras, Kings, Monterey, Sutter, Riverside, San Joaquin

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