The Indian paintbrush is a wildflower that looks like someone took a paintbrush, dipped it in bright red or orange paint, and stuck it right in the ground! The colorful parts that look like petals are actually special leaves called bracts, and the real flowers are tiny and hidden inside them. Indian paintbrush flowers can be red, orange, yellow, or even pink, and they grow on fuzzy green stems that can be about as tall as a ruler. They are the state flower of Wyoming, and Native American children used to pick them and pretend they were real paintbrushes!
These amazing wildflowers love to grow in sunny open fields, mountain meadows, and along hiking trails in the western United States. Indian paintbrush plants have a cool secret – they are partly sneaky! Their roots reach out underground and connect to the roots of nearby grasses and other plants to steal some of their food and water. Scientists call this being a “hemiparasite,” which means they make some of their own food from sunshine but also take some from their neighbors. Hummingbirds especially love Indian paintbrush flowers because their long beaks are perfect for reaching the sweet nectar hidden deep inside.
