Bloomipedia
Giant red paintbrush (Castilleja miniata)
Photo: Bob Walker via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Giant red paintbrush

Castilleja miniata

Giant red paintbrush (Castilleja miniata) is a low shrub in the Orobanchaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–August across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Giant red paintbrush is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.

13states where USDA records it
3Bloomipedia state lists include it
10,060U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Idaho, Montana, Wyoming

Quick look

Castilleja miniata is a species of Indian paintbrush known by the common name giant red paintbrush. It is native to western North America from Alaska to Ontario to California to New Mexico, where it grows usually in moist places in a wide variety of habitat types.

  • It belongs to the Orobanchaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 13 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. NatureServe
  • In Idaho, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,033 research-grade sightings of it in Idaho, ranking #17 among the 143 flowers on our Idaho list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 644 research-grade sightings of it in Montana, ranking #67 among the 128 flowers on our Montana list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 407 research-grade sightings of it in Wyoming, ranking #70 among the 113 flowers on our Wyoming list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,158 records)
Bloom time in the 3 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
IdahoNativeJune–August1,033
MontanaNativefew records (33)644
WyomingNativefew records (33)407

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Idaho
No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Idaho.
Montana
No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Montana.
Wyoming
No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Wyoming.
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records giant red paintbrush in 13 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

Idaho counties with USDA records: Ada, Adams, Bannock, Bear Lake, Blaine, Boise, Bonner, Bonneville, Butte, Camas, Caribou, Cassia, Clark, Clearwater, Custer, Elmore, Franklin, Fremont, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lemhi, Lewis, Nez Perce, Owyhee, Power, Shoshone, Teton, Twin Falls, Valley, Washington.

Montana counties with USDA records: Beaverhead, Carbon, Deer Lodge, Gallatin, Granite, Jefferson, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Madison, Meagher, Missoula, Park, Phillips, Ravalli, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Yellowstone.

Wyoming counties with USDA records: Albany, Big Horn, Carbon, Fremont, Johnson, Lincoln, Park, Sheridan, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton, Uinta, Washakie.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Alaska: Native; Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 245 counties across 12 states; the most are in California (37), Colorado (31), Idaho (31).

Other Castilleja on Bloomipedia (11): Texas paintbrush, Purple owl's-clover, Felt paintbrush, Desert paintbrush, Wholeleaf paintbrush, Wyoming paintbrush, Painted-cup paintbrush, Rhexia-leaved paintbrush, Downy painted-cup, Northern paintbrush.

More from the Orobanchaceae family (24 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Canadian lousewort, Warrior's plume, Elephant's-Head lousewort, Narrowleaf cow wheat, Sickletop lousewort, Florida bluehearts, Bracted lousewort, Dwarf lousewort.

More Idaho flowers

Desert paintbrush (Castilleja chromosa)

Desert paintbrush

Castilleja chromosa

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in ID
Elephant's-Head lousewort (Pedicularis groenlandica)

Elephant's-Head lousewort

Pedicularis groenlandica

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in ID
Great mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Great mullein

Verbascum thapsus

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in ID

Sources