Flower profile
Wholeleaf paintbrush
Castilleja integra
Wholeleaf 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 April–September.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico
Quick look
Castilleja integra, with the common names orange paintbrush, Southwestern paintbrush, and wholeleaf paintbrush, is a partially parasitic herbaceous perennial plant native to the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. The species produces a relatively large amount of nectar and is attractive to hummingbirds.
- 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 4 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. NatureServe
- In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–August. iNaturalist
- In New Mexico, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–October. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,948 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #49 among the 110 flowers on our Colorado list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,762 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #19 among the 109 flowers on our New Mexico list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,484 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #64 among the 109 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
Wholeleaf paintbrush gift ideas
Handmade wholeleaf paintbrush gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Wholeleaf paintbrush art print
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Wholeleaf paintbrush greeting card
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Wholeleaf paintbrush mug
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Wholeleaf paintbrush earrings
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Wholeleaf paintbrush embroidery pattern
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Wholeleaf paintbrush sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 3 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | Native | April–August | 2,948 |
| New Mexico | Native | April–October | 1,762 |
| Arizona | Native | April–September | 1,484 |
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Colorado
- No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Colorado.
- New Mexico
- Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. 19.21.2.9 NMAC
- Arizona
- Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
- 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?
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.
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 wholeleaf paintbrush in 4 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas.
Colorado counties with USDA records: Alamosa, Archuleta, Boulder, Chaffee, Conejos, Custer, Douglas, El Paso, Elbert, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Jefferson, La Plata, Lake, Las Animas, Mineral, Otero, Park, Pueblo, Rio Grande, Saguache, Teller.
New Mexico counties with USDA records: Bernalillo, Catron, Cibola, Colfax, De Baca, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Guadalupe, Harding, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Los Alamos, McKinley, Mora, Otero, Quay, Rio Arriba, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union, Valencia.
Arizona counties with USDA records: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Santa Cruz, Yavapai.
More Colorado flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CAIN14.
- iNaturalist, Castilleja integra: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Castilleja integra (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
- New Mexico: New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC).
- New Mexico: New Mexico Noxious Weed List (NM Department of Agriculture, updated June 2020).
- Arizona: Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025).
- Arizona: Arizona prohibited noxious weeds (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-4-245).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Castilleja integra (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Anders Hastings via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.