Woolly Indian paintbrush facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Woolly Indian paintbrush
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Orobanchaceae
Genus:	Castilleja
Species:	C. foliolosa
Binomial name
Castilleja foliolosa Hook. & Arn.
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Castilleja foliolosa is a beautiful wild plant known as the woolly Indian paintbrush or Texas Indian paintbrush. It gets its name "Indian paintbrush" because its colorful parts look like a paintbrush dipped in bright colors!

This plant grows naturally in California and the northern part of Baja California in Mexico. Even though one of its common names is "Texas Indian paintbrush," it actually does not grow in Texas at all!

What it Looks Like

The Castilleja foliolosa is a perennial wildflower. This means it's a wild flowering plant that lives for more than two years. It can grow up to 60 centimeters (about 2 feet) tall.

This plant is covered in soft, woolly hairs that are white or gray. Its leaves are long and thin, growing up to 5 centimeters (about 2 inches) long.

Its Flowers and Colors

The most striking part of the plant is its colorful top section, which holds the flowers. This part is made of many layers of special leaves called bracts. These bracts are usually bright orange-red, but they can also be a dull yellowish-green.

The actual flowers are small and greenish. They are shaped like little pouches and are hidden between the colorful bracts. After the flowers bloom, the plant produces a fruit that is a small capsule, just over a centimeter long.

Where it Grows

You can find the woolly Indian paintbrush growing in specific types of environments. It loves areas with chaparral, which is a kind of shrubland with dense bushes. It also grows on rocky slopes in deserts and mountains. These places are often dry and sunny.