Frosted Indian paintbrush facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frosted Indian paintbrush
Scientific classification
Genus:	Castilleja
Species:	pruinosa

Castilleja pruinosa is a type of wild plant. It is often called the frosted Indian paintbrush. This plant gets its name because its bright red or orange-red parts look a bit like a paintbrush dipped in paint! This plant grows naturally in California and Oregon. You can find it in different kinds of forests there.

What Does the Frosted Indian Paintbrush Look Like?

The frosted Indian paintbrush is a perennial herb. This means it lives for more than two years. It can sometimes grow into a bushy shape. This plant can reach a height of about 80 centimeters. That is almost as tall as a typical 12-year-old!

This plant is covered in many tiny hairs. This makes it look a gray-green color. Its leaves are shaped like a spearhead. They can be up to 8 centimeters long. Sometimes, the leaves have small rounded parts, like lobes.

The most colorful part is the inflorescence. This is a group of flowers or flower-like parts. It looks like a cluster of bright red or orange-red bracts. Bracts are special leaves that often look like petals. The actual flowers grow between these colorful bracts. Each flower is about 2 or 3 centimeters long. They are usually greenish with reddish edges.

Where Else Can We Find This Plant?

A rare plant called Castilleja gleasonii is found in the San Gabriel Mountains of California. This plant is endemic to that area. This means it grows only there and nowhere else. Sometimes, scientists think Castilleja gleasonii is actually the same species as Castilleja pruinosa.