wetland wildflower
Giant red paintbrush
Castilleja miniata
Also known as Giant Red Indian Paintbrush, Meadow Paintbrush
1 of 3Native to the Pacific Coast, the Southwest, and the Rockies and southern Canada
Alaska to Arizona, east to the Rockies
- Light Full sun Sun tolerance
- Moisture Wet Moisture preference
- Zones 2–9 Cold to heat range
- Bloom Jun–Sep Flowering time
- Height up to 3 ft to 0.9 m
- Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial
In the garden
A wetland wildflower for full sun and wet soil. Its red flowers peak in July. At up to 3 ft, it suits rain gardens, pond edges, and damp low spots. Hardy in USDA zones 2–9.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun Partial shade Full shade
Moisture
Dry Moist Wet
Hardiness zones
Find your zone:
When it blooms
The Giant red paintbrush's red flowers bloom June to September, peaking in July. This midsummer display draws bees and hummingbirds.
Giant red paintbrush blooms red, pink & orangeFoliage
Pollinators & wildlife
- Bees Hunt's Bumble Bee
also Bombus fervidus, Two-form Bumble Bee, Half-black Bumble Bee +11 more
Yellow-fronted Bumble Bee, California Bumble Bee, Nevada Bumble Bee, Great Basin Bumble Bee, Yellowish Cuckoo Bumble bee, White-shouldered Bumble Bee, Western Bumble Bee, Frigid Leafcutter Bee, Golden-belted Bumble Bee, Bombus balteatus, Lasioglossum sp.F3 - Hummingbirds Rufous Hummingbird also Calliope Hummingbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird
- Flower flies Eastern Forest Sedgesitter also Volucella bombylans
- Also visited by
- Butterflies: Pale Swallowtail
Butterflies that use this plant
Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.
- Pale swallowtailnectar
Full plant details
Where it grows
- Habitat
- WetlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
- Native range
- The Pacific Coast, the Southwest, and the Rockies and southern CanadaUnited States (12): AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY. Canada (4): AB, BC, SK, YT. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
- Native distribution
- Alaska to Arizona, east to the RockiesThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.
Growing conditions
- Light
- Full sunHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
- Moisture
- WetThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 2–9 · Canadian 0–9The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
- Soil
- Wet to moist, well-drained soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
- Soil texture
- Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
- Soil pH
- Mildly acid to mildly alkalineThe acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Growth & form
- Height
- up to 3 ft (to 0.9 m)Typical mature height.
- Spread
- ~2 ft (0.5 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
- Life cycle
- PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
- Growth rate
- ModerateA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
Flowers, foliage & fruit
- Type
- WildflowerWhat kind of plant it is.
- Bloom
- Jun–SepWhen it flowers.
- Flower color
- Red, Pink, OrangeThe bloom color, or colors.
- Fruit/Seeds
- ripens Jul–SepThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
- Toxicity
- None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.