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Castilleja chromosa

desert paintbrush

Orobanchaceae

Great Basin and western United States deserts

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Hummingbirds Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterVery Low · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 4–8

Overview

Castilleja chromosa is a hemiparasitic perennial wildflower in the broomrape family growing 4-16 inches (10-40 cm) tall in clumps of erect, often hairy stems. The narrow leaves are 0.8-2 inches (2-5 cm) long, gray-green, and usually divided into a few thread-like lobes near the tip. The plant draws part of its water and nutrients by attaching its roots to those of neighboring shrubs and grasses, especially sagebrush, through structures called haustoria. The conspicuous color comes not from the small greenish flowers but from the bracts and sepals around them, which flush bright red to orange-red in dense terminal clusters. Each tubular flower is mostly hidden, with a beak-like upper lip protruding past the colored bracts. C. chromosa blooms in spring across the sagebrush deserts and dry slopes of the western United States. Because it depends on host plants and specific soil conditions, it resists transplanting and is hard to grow from seed without a host nearby, which limits garden use. The clumps are long-lived in undisturbed desert but slow to establish.

Native Range

Castilleja chromosa is native to the western United States, including the Great Basin, Mojave, and Colorado Plateau regions of Nevada, Utah, Arizona, California, and neighboring states. It grows in sagebrush scrub, pinyon-juniper woodland, and dry, rocky slopes.

Suggested Uses

Castilleja chromosa is used in native, restoration, and water-wise plantings in desert and sagebrush regions, always paired with a suitable host plant. Its red-orange spring bracts add color to dry slopes and rock gardens. The flowers draw hummingbirds and native bees.

How to Identify

Look for clumps of erect stems topped with dense clusters of bright red to orange-red, brush-like bracts in spring. The narrow gray-green leaves are often split into a few thread-like lobes near the tip. The colored bracts, rather than true petals, and the desert sagebrush habitat separate it from wetter-ground paintbrushes such as C. miniata, which has broader, less divided leaves.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height4" - 1'4"

Width/Spread6" - 1'

Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years

Colors

Flower Colors

red

orange

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

no change

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~8 weeks

Spring

The red-orange bracts color up in spring, roughly March to June, depending on elevation and rainfall. The small tubular flowers tucked among the bracts are pollinated mainly by hummingbirds drawn to the color. Bracts hold their color for several weeks before fading as seed capsules form.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

red to orange-red bracts

Foliage Description

gray-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.5 - 8.0(Alkaline)

357912

Soil Types

sand rocky loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Very Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Castilleja chromosa grows in full sun and dry, fast-draining sandy or rocky desert soil. It is a root hemiparasite, so it establishes most reliably when planted near a host such as sagebrush whose roots it can tap for water and minerals. It withstands drought, heat, and poor soil but rarely survives transplanting once its roots are disturbed. Seed germinates erratically and usually fails without a nearby host and a cold, moist chilling period. The plant needs little or no added water in its native climate and rots in rich, wet garden soil. Establishment is slow and uncertain, even for experienced native plant growers.

Pruning

No pruning is needed. Spent flowering stems can be left to set and drop seed, which is the main way colonies persist. Cutting back gives no benefit and risks harming the slow-growing, host-dependent roots.