Castilleja coccinea aka Scarlet Indian Paintbrush

Castilleja coccinea belongs to the broomrape family of plants. This wildflower goes by Indian paintbrush and scarlet painted cup. It grows in Canada and the eastern United States. Its range reaches west to Texas. Wild plants grow in prairies and open woods. They grow in thickets and rocky glades, too. Other sites include dry plains, hills, and streambanks.

Most plants reach 1–1.5 feet (0.30–0.46 metres) tall. Some reach 2 feet (0.61 metres). They spread about 1.5 feet (0.46 metres) wide. The upright stems have hairs and seldom branch. Rough green leaves grow in turns along the stems. Leaves at the base form a ring, or rosette. These lance-shaped leaves have smooth edges. Stem leaves split into three to five narrow lobes. Most plants live for two years. Sources also list the plant as perennial, living more years. It forms its rosette first, then blooms the next year. Plants die soon after they set seed. Their leaves then die back and vanish.

Flowers bloom from April through July. They form dense spikes at the ends of stems. Tiny greenish-yellow flowers sit within bright bracts, which look like leaves. These bracts give the plant most of its color. Their tips are red or orange-red, sometimes pink or white. Deep cuts split them into three to five parts. Hummingbirds and bees visit the plants. The bright spikes add points of color to native gardens. Sources suggest gardens for cut flowers or for bees and other pollinators. They also suggest areas where plants can spread and grow wild. Prairies and glades suit this plant's wild form.

Full sun and moist soil that drains well suit it best. It also copes with part shade and poorer soil. It grows in sand, loam, or clay. It can grow across a broad pH range. Sources place it in USDA zones 4–8. Its roots take some water and nutrients from nearby plants. These plants serve as hosts. Growing it with suitable hosts may help it grow better. Suggested plants include Schizachyrium, Penstemon, and Sisyrinchium. This root link makes its care harder than many garden flowers.

Plants are hard to raise from seed. Moving plants often kills them. They may self-seed where the site suits them. Yet a lasting group may need fresh seed or new plants. New seed often sprouts in early fall. Neither garden source reports major problems with insects or disease. Getting plants to take root and last is the main challenge. The supplied evidence gives no guidance on food use. It gives no guidance on toxicity, either.