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Softleaf Indian paintbrush

Castilleja mollis

Also called Soft Leaf Paintbrush, Soft Leaved Indian Paintbrush, Soft Leaved Paintbrush

Softleaf Indian paintbrush
Photo: Sarah Chaney, National Park Service, Public domain

Softleaf Indian paintbrush is a rare perennial wildflower native only to the Channel Islands of California, growing in coastal sage scrub on dunes and bluffs. It is a hemiparasite that needs a host plant, so it is not a typical garden subject.

Family
Orobanchaceae (Orobanch family)
Grows as
Shrub
Light
Full sun
Water
Water sparingly; it is adapted to dry coastal conditions and depends partly on its host plant.
Soil
Sandy, well-drained coastal soil.
Temperature
Mild coastal climate; tolerates cool, windy conditions, protect from hard frost.
How easy
Hard
Native range
California (Santa Rosa I., San Miguel I.)
Climate
subtropical

About

Castilleja mollis is a species of Indian paintbrush known by the common name softleaf Indian paintbrush. It is endemic to the Channel Islands of California, where it is currently known only from Santa Rosa Island. An occurrence was once noted on San Miguel Island, but the plant has not been found there since 1938. Its habitat is the coastal sage scrub around the windy sand dunes and bluffs.

Other Castilleja plants

Coast Indian paintbrush · Johnny-nip · Northwestern Indian paintbrush · Wavyleaf Indian paintbrush · Aquarius Plateau Indian paintbrush · Cobwebby Indian paintbrush · Attenuate Indian paintbrush · Castilleja beldingii · Castilleja bella · Shortstyle Indian paintbrush · Vernal pool Indian paintbrush · Port Clarence Indian paintbrush

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Castilleja mollis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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