Castilleja miniata
Orobanchaceae
Slender Paintbrush
Tall, erect, slightly sticky plant with few branches. Leaves flat, lance-shaped, deep green, without lobes. Flower heads deep bluish red to pinkish or bright yellow-orange. Flowers mostly concealed by brightly colored, sharply toothed and pointed, hairy bracts, the green beak of flower extending out with age. Grows in moist meadows, forest openings, from coast to mountains. Most common species of Castilleja in the Northwest. Subsp. elata, Siskiyou paintbrush, has bluish red to yellow-orange flowers; found in bogs, near serpentine, below 4500 ft. Subsp. miniata is bright red to orange-red, with stout stems; grows in wet meadows, along streambanks, at low to mid elevations in mountains.
- Rarity: Common
- Flowering Time: Mid Summer
- Flower Form: 5 petals, 2 lips (Scrophulariaceae)
- Life Cycle: Perennial
- Height: 12–30 inches
- Habitat: Coastal, East-side Forest, Meadow, Moist Riverbanks, West-side Forest
- Found In: Mt. Rainier NP, N Cascades NP, Olympic NP
- Native: Yes
- Also Known As: Giant Red Paintbrush
