INDIAN PAINTBRUSH
When thinking of Wyoming summer, it conjures up images of sagebrush hillsides decorated in patches of the fiery orange Indian Paintbrush. As Wyoming’s state flower, the native Indian paintbrush holds a special place in the hearts of every Wyomingite. Indian paintbrush is recognizable by its unique, red bracts that encircle a brilliant low growing green stem, attracting various pollinators including hummingbirds. They are hemiparasites, meaning they photosynthesize, but can also sequester nutrients from other nearby plants such as sage and prairie grasses. Therefore at Sprouts, we plant ours with a companion plant of artemisia. When first planting Indian Paintbrush, plant in full sun with regular watering and extremely well draining soil as they will suffer in soggy soil. They are cold hardy, deer resistant,and once established, Indian Paintbrush are drought tolerant and thrive in drier soils. They will flourish better in wildflower gardens, open fields, meadows, and rock gardens, but might not be as successful in well maintained areas. With Indian paintbrush being a biennial plant, it sometimes does not produce flowers till second year around. Although a plant usually only lives for two years, they are successful at reseeding themselves, and you will be rewarded with more flowers each year.
