Alpine Paintbrush – Castilleja Rhexifolia

By Pattyhankins @PattyHankins

There are many varieties of paintbrush flowers growing in the Western United States. I always love seeing them and photographing them – the challenge is identifying which one is which!

From the descriptions I’ve read – I believe I photographed Alpine Paintbrush - castilleja rhexifolia – at both Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks. Of course – I very well may have misidentified them – since no two sources have similar photos for the same wildflower! So I apologize in advance if I’d misidentified which paintbrush these photos are of.

Alpine Paintbrush are summer-blooming perennial members of the Figwort Family (scrophulariacaea). They grow to between 4 and 16 inches tall – and have bright pink or reddish flowers. I’ve found them in meadows and in open areas along the sides of the roads in the parks.