Scarlet Paintbrush
Castilleja coccinea
- Plant Type
- Forb (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Ground Cover
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun
- Moisture
- 💧 Regular
- Soil
- Loam, Silt, Organic / Peat, Calcareous
- Bloom
- April, May
- Sociability
- S2 – Small groups
Pollinator Value
- ❄️ Winter Food Source
- Genus-level avian diet data (Castilleja spp.) shows use by Spruce Grouse (22% occurrence), Greater Sage-Grouse (7% occurrence), and California Quail (0.2% occurrence). These records are primarily from western Castilleja species; direct evidence for C. coccinea seed consumption by eastern birds is limited.
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 0
- Native Status
- ❌ Outaouais ❌ Ottawa ❌ QC ✅ ON
- Closest Direction
- Local
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
- Rarity Notes
- Globally secure (G5) and nationally secure in Canada (N4). Ranked S4 (Apparently Secure) in Ontario. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Not native to Quebec per VASCAN. In Ontario, populations concentrated in alvar habitats of the Carden Plains and Georgian Bay shorelines; many historical records from southern Lower Michigan are old. Range extends from Massachusetts to southeastern Saskatchewan south to Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, eastern Oklahoma, and eastern Kansas.
S22 G5, N4, S4-ON; S26 not SARA listed; S1 distribution; S4 native range; S7 historical records declining in southern Michigan
- Rarity Ranks
- ON S4 – Apparently Secure
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- Hemiparasitic annual or biennial of moist calcareous habitats including prairies, meadows, alvars, and gravelly lakeshores. In Ontario, strongly associated with alvar grasslands over shallow limestone soils (Carden Plains, Georgian Bay shores) where it parasitizes grass roots. Also found in cedar swamps, fens, and marly bogs. Michigan Flora records show affinity for calcareous sandy or gravelly shores, interdunal flats, and springy limestone outcrops. Requires open, sunny conditions with host grasses present.
S7 calcareous shores, alvars, fens; S4 moist-dry prairies, meadows; S48 alvar habitat from specimen data; S61 hemiparasitic ecology
Permaculture & Companion Planting
Medicinal Properties ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
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ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →- Category
- Cold Remedy, Orthopedic Aid, Love Medicine, Poison
S28 Moerman use categories
- Notes
- Chippewa used an infusion of flowers for colds, and a simple or compound decoction of flowers for paralysis (orthopedic aid). Menominee used the herb as a love charm, secreted onto the person who was the object of desire. Cherokee prepared an infusion used as a poison 'to destroy your enemies.' Foster & Duke note weak flower tea was used by Amerindians for rheumatism and 'female diseases.'
Edibility & Foraging ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
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ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →❌ Not Edible
Seed Source
- Localeaf