Dyes have actually been made from this part of the Indian Paintbrush plant. The leaves also have fruit capsules embedded with lots of seeds. The leaves are long, narrow, and pointed, and the upper leaves have three hairy lobes. The flower is difficult to grow, as it must have a host plant associated with it. For those whose heart has a special place for Wyoming. The plant is generally grown from seed, when sown directly in fall. This is a detailed print of my original Wyoming Indian Paintbrush gouache and watercolor painting. Indian Paintbrushes suck the nutrients and water from the host plants. The Indian paintbrush, (Castilleja linariaefolia,) is a native wildflower in the family Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family). It attaches to the tubes of host plants by their roots.

The Indian Paintbrush is a semi-parasitic flower. The “painted cups” of the Indian Paintbrush aren’t true flowers, but amazingly colored flowerlike-bracts.

Bright, blunt spikes of yellow, orange or red bracts signal the flower stalk of Indian paintbrush (Castilleja spp.), a perennial plant native mostly to. The top of the stem look as though they’ve been dipped in bright red paint, hence the name Indian Paintbrush. Life Stages of the Indian Paintbrush Plant. The Indian Paintbrush prevailed nonetheless and was adopted in 1917.įound throughout most of British Columbia, the flower is a member of the Figwort family, a perennial boasting a cluster of stems that grow upward from the base, up to 60 cm. Aven Nelson of the University of Wyoming objected to the adoption of the Indian Paintbrush because it was uncommon and had too many varietals. In polls of Wyoming school children, the Indian Paintbrush proved to be a favorite. The gorgeous Indian Paintbrush actually met tough opposition in its initial debate to become Wyoming’s official state flower. It is called the “Paintbrush” because the blooms on the beautiful flowering plant are so red they look as if they were freshly painted!

Wyoming indian paintbrush