Castilleja tenuis
Hairy indian paintbrush
(c) Tom Hilton, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Orobanchaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Castilleja tenuis (Hairy indian paintbrush) is a native California herb in the Orobanchaceae family, recognized by annual habit, white/yellow flowers, and prominent lower lip pouches are key.
Hairy indian paintbrush is a California native annual found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada High Country, southern Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges, Modoc Plateau, and northern Sierra Nevada Eastern Slope in moist meadows and flats at elevations of 1,000 to 2,800 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces white or yellow flowers with delicate 4 to 5 millimeter straight beaks nestled among green bracts with 3 to 7 lanceolate lobes. Growing with spreading stems 10 to 45 centimeters tall and covered in glandular hairs toward the upper portions, it has a distinctive branching habit. Its lance-linear leaves range from 10 to 40 millimeters long, typically with zero to three narrow lobes. The small seeds have a deeply netted coat that loosely fits around the embryo.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 46 sympatric species; annual habit, white/yellow flowers, and prominent lower lip pouches are key
Habitat and range
Habitat: Moist flats, meadows
Elevation: 1000-2800 m
California counties: Mendocino, Lassen, El Dorado, Modoc, Plumas, Fresno, San Bernardino, Butte, Madera, Amador, Nevada, Sierra, Tulare, Shasta, Colusa, Placer, Trinity, Siskiyou, Calaveras, Alpine, Glenn, Yuba, Lake, Tehama, Tuolumne, Mono, Mariposa, Kern, San Diego, Del Norte, Inyo, Ventura, San Mateo
Outside California: to Alaska
Bloom period
Castilleja tenuis blooms May-Aug.
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 tenuis native to California?
Yes. Castilleja tenuis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Castilleja tenuis bloom?
Castilleja tenuis blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Castilleja tenuis grow?
Castilleja tenuis occurs in Mendocino, Lassen, El Dorado, Modoc, Plumas, Fresno, San Bernardino, Butte and other counties, at elevations of 1000-2800 m.
What plant family does Castilleja tenuis belong to?
Castilleja tenuis is in the Orobanchaceae family, genus Castilleja.
What habitat does Castilleja tenuis grow in?
Castilleja tenuis grows in Moist flats, meadows.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Castilleja uliginosa — Pitkin Marsh paintbrush
- Castilleja wightii — Wight' indian paint brush
- Castilleja affinis — Indian paintbrush
- Castilleja affinis subsp. affinis
- Castilleja affinis subsp. litoralis — Oregon coast paintbrush
- Castilleja affinis subsp. neglecta — Tiburon paintbrush
- Chloropyron maritimum — Salt marsh bird's beak
- Chloropyron maritimum subsp. canescens
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.