The package of seeds from Alplains arrived today. I’m so happy. This year we’re growing five different types of Indian paintbrush: Castilleja angustifolia; Castilleja chromosa; Castilleja haydenii; and, Castilleja parvula v. parvula, and of course our local native Castilleja integra. The picture below shows Castilleja integra blooming in September after an incredibly, extremely, dry summer and early fall. I was surprised to see this lone bloom on a dry, south-facing hillside. My respect for our native plants has never been higher. They are survivors. Of course, with a little rain this paintbrush would be bigger and showier, but there’s always next year!
If you’ve never ordered seeds from Alplains, check out their website. It’s inspirational. http://www.alplains.com/
One of my favorite paintbrushes, Castilleja angustifolia.
Photo of Castilleja angustifolia in Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas, NV, taken April 2005 by Stan Shebs. Courtesy of Wikimedia.
