prairie wildflower
Painted-cup paintbrush
Castilleja coccinea
Also known as Scarlet Paintbrush, Scarlet Indian Paintbrush, Painted Cup, Indian Paintbrush
1 of 2Native to much of the USA and southern Canada
Massachusetts to southeastern Saskatchewan, south to northern Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, eastern Oklahoma and eastern Kansas
- Light Full sun Sun tolerance
- Moisture Moist Moisture preference
- Zones 3–9 Cold to heat range
- Bloom Apr–Jul Flowering time
- Height up to 28 in to 71 cm
- Life cycle Annual Annual to perennial
In the garden
A prairie wildflower for full sun and evenly moist soil. Its red and pink flowers peak in May. At up to 28 in, it suits meadows and sunny borders. Hardy in USDA zones 3–9.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun Partial shade Full shade
Moisture
Dry Moist Wet
Hardiness zones
Find your zone:
When it blooms
The Painted-cup paintbrush's red and pink flowers bloom April to July, peaking in May. This late-spring display draws bees and butterflies.
Painted-cup paintbrush blooms red & pinkFoliage
Pollinators & wildlife
- Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee
also American Bumble Bee, Ligated Furrow Bee, Bombus fervidus +10 more
Agapostemon texanus, Nomada vincta, Colletes nudus, Colorado Calliopsis Bee, Goatsbeard Miner Bee, Virginia Mining Bee, Robertson's Miner Bee, Ptilothrix bombiformis, Xenoglossa strenua, Eastern Cuckoo Sweat Bee - Butterflies Black Swallowtail also Pipevine Swallowtail, Southern Dogface
- Flower flies Yellow-legged Bog Fly also Volucella bombylans, Scar-horned Blacklet, Sphaerophoria cylindricus
- Also visited by
- Beetles: Tumbling Nun, Typocerus badius
- Hummingbirds: Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Butterflies that use this plant
Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.
- Black swallowtailnectar
- Pipevine swallowtailnectar
Full plant details
Where it grows
- Habitat
- PrairieThe wild plant community it grows in.
- Native range
- Much of the USA and southern CanadaUnited States (30): AL, AR, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, WI, WV. Canada (2): MB, ON. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
- Native distribution
- Massachusetts to southeastern Saskatchewan, south to northern Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, eastern Oklahoma and eastern KansasThe 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
- MoistThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 3–9 · Canadian 2–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
- Soil
- Damp, sandy soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
- Soil pH
- 4.9–6.8The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
- Soil quality
- LowHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
- Water use
- MediumHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
- Salinity tolerance
- NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
- Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance
- MediumHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.
Growth & form
- Height
- up to 28 in (to 71 cm)Typical mature height.
- Life cycle
- AnnualWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
- Growth rate
- RapidA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
- Shape
- ErectIts overall silhouette.
- Root depth
- 8+ in (20+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.
Flowers, foliage & fruit
- Type
- WildflowerWhat kind of plant it is.
- Bloom
- Apr–JulWhen it flowers.
- Flower color
- Red, PinkThe bloom color, or colors.
- Toxicity
- None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.
Propagation & seed
- Cold stratification
- Not requiredWhether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
- Propagation
- SeedHow to start new plants.
- Seed
- ~0.3 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
- Seed spread rate
- ModerateHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
- Seedling vigor
- MediumHow strongly young seedlings establish.
- Vegetative spread
- NoneWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.