About Castilleja angustifolia (Nutt.) G.Don
This Indian paintbrush, Castilleja angustifolia, grows to less than half a meter tall. It has bristly herbage that ranges in color from gray-green to purple-red, and grows in clumps of erect stems. Each stem is topped with an inflorescence of somewhat tubular yellow-green flowers. The flowers are surrounded by bright red to orange-red bracts, which are sometimes tinted purple, and usually covered in a thin fuzzy coat of white hairs. Upper leaves and bracts are divided into 3 to 5 segments, while lower leaves are undivided, long, and narrow. This species flowers from May to September. In areas including Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, it is often found growing alongside sagebrush. Its brightly colored bracts attract pollinators such as hummingbirds and butterflies, which would otherwise ignore the plant’s small yellow-green flowers. Its fruits are centimeter-long capsules that hold honeycomb-patterned seeds. Castilleja angustifolia is similar to Castilleja linariifolia.
