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Painted Cup Wikimedia Commons
Orobanchaceae

Painted Cup

Castilleja coccinea

Artistic beauty.

Family
Orobanchaceae
Genus
Castilleja
Native to
Eastern North America
Bloom season
Spring, Summer
Type
Herbaceous Annual/Biennial
Height
1-2 feet
Sunlight
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Soil
Moist, Sandy
Water
Moderate
Hardiness
4-8
Lifespan
Annual/Biennial

Did you know

  • The colorful parts of painted cup are actually modified leaves called bracts, not petals.
  • It is a hemiparasite that attaches its roots to nearby grasses to steal water and nutrients.
  • The true flowers are small green tubes hidden among the showy bracts.
  • Hummingbirds are the primary pollinators, attracted to the brilliant red bracts.
  • Painted cup is nearly impossible to cultivate without its host plant growing nearby.

Color meanings

0

Creativity

1

Passion

2

Artistic spirit

Uses

  • Wildflower meadows
  • Native plant gardens
  • Pollinator support
  • Ecological restoration