Flower profile

Painted-cup paintbrush

Castilleja coccinea

Painted-cup paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea) is a flowering plant in the Orobanchaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–June across the U.S.

Native to Missouri

Painted-cup paintbrush is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Missouri it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.

32states where USDA records it

1,273MO sightings*

5,061U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Missouri

Quick look

Castilleja coccinea, commonly known as scarlet paintbrush or scarlet painted-cup, is a biennial flowering plant in the Orobanchaceae (broomrape) family. It is usually found in prairies, rocky glades, moist and open woodlands, thickets, and along streams in central and eastern North America.
From Wikipedia's article Castilleja coccinea, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Orobanchaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 32 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Missouri. ^NatureServe
In Missouri, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as red. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 1.6 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 1,273 research-grade sightings of it in Missouri, ranking #46 among the 177 flowers on our Missouri list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Missouri, most flowering sightings come in April–June.

Flowering records by month in Missouri (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (74 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed Not listed under the Endangered Species Act. USFWS ECOS does track it with the label “Resolved Taxon,” which is informal and gives no legal protection. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Missouri: Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. ^{3 CSR 10-4.111}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AL (S1), CT (S1), DE (SX), GA (S1), KY (S1), LA (SH), MA (SH), MD (S1), ME (SX), MS (S1), NH (SX), NJ (S1), NY (S1), PA (S1), RI (SH), SC (S2), WV (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

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 edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 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 painted-cup paintbrush in 32 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Missouri counties with USDA records: Adair, Barry, Bates, Benton, Boone, Camden, Carter, Cass, Cedar, Christian, Clark, Clay, Cole, Crawford, Dent, Douglas, Franklin, Greene, Henry, Hickory, Howell, Iron, Jasper, Jefferson, Knox, Laclede, Lincoln, Linn, Macon, Madison, Maries, Marion, Miller, Moniteau, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Oregon, Ozark, Perry, Pettis, Phelps, Pike, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Reynolds, Saline, Schuyler, Scotland, Shannon, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Stone, Sullivan, Texas, Vernon, Warren, Washington, Wright.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Painted-cup paintbrush a low shade tolerance, low drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 4.9 to 6.8 and winter lows down to -28 °F.

Shade tolerance: Low
Drought tolerance: Low
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: medium
Soil pH range: 4.9 to 6.8
Minimum temperature tolerated: -28 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 75
Annual precipitation range: 25 to 55 inches
Minimum root depth: 8 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Low
Growth rate: Rapid
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown · Spring to Summer
Can be propagated by: seed
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for CACO17. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

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

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Castilleja ludoviciana.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 522 counties across 30 states; the most are in Missouri (65), Wisconsin (55), Minnesota (50).

Other Castilleja on Bloomipedia (11): Texas paintbrush, Purple owl's-clover, Felt paintbrush, Giant red paintbrush, Desert paintbrush, Wholeleaf paintbrush, Wyoming 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 Missouri flowers

Canadian lousewort

Pedicularis canadensis

Native

🌼 Blooms in MO: April–May

Amur honeysuckle

Lonicera maackii

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in MO: April–May

Mayapple

Podophyllum peltatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in MO: April–May

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CACO17.
iNaturalist, Castilleja coccinea: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Castilleja coccinea (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Missouri: Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants.
Missouri: Missouri noxious weed list (2 CSR 70-45.005).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Castilleja coccinea (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Edie via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.