HAPPENING UPON A FIELD OF SCARLET PAINTBRUSH (CctStUleja coccinea) in the wild is a dramatic experience. The bright red/ orange color of the bracts, which comprise its blooms, is less common among native plants of the Midwest. This plant tends to occur in the wild near lakes, stream banks, open woods and meadows with well-draining sandy or silty soil.Plants in the Castilleja genus are hemiparasitic, meaning they require a host plant for their nutrients, minerals and water. Common hosts for scarlet paintbrush include many native low-growing grasses and sedges, such as blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis')and Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica). Generally, this parasitic activity doesn’t harm the host plant. (The U.S. Forest Service and the Minnesota Wildflowers websites include additional suggested hosts for this plant.)Native-plant enthusiast Beth Stetenfeld is a garden . blogger and writer, and a master naturalist volun-I teer and instructor.
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