Prairie Paintbrush lives in Central Texas on dry rocky limestone hillsides. It has a curious habit of being a hemi-parasite. Which means its roots tap into the roots of other plants to derive moisture and nutrients from them. Kinda creepy! But it has beautiful flowers, the colorful "petals" are actually bracts which are closer to a leaf structure than a petal. Another Paintbrush in our area, Texas Paintbrush, is shown below and prefers more sandy soils or along Texas roadsides.
Plant Files:
Scientific name: Castilleja purpurea
Family name: Figwort Family
Common names Prairie Paintbrush
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| Prairie Paintbrusn |
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| Texas Paintbrush |
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| Texas Paintbrush |
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