Desert Paintbrush

Fours stalks of bright red bracts attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies and hummingbird to Desert Paintbrush.

NPS/ Kenneth Ingham

In the quest to reproduce and ensure survival of their species, most plants and animals need to attract either a mate or a helper. To make seeds, many flowers require the assistance of a bird, bee, butterfly or other insect. However, not all plants produce large, luscious blooms. Some, like the Desert Paintbrush (Castillege angustifolia), grow small, inconspicuous flowers that fail to attract the attention of pollinators. The paintbrushes' tiny flowers- yellow green tubes barely half a millimeter long- would remain forever solitary if it weren't for the help of a special leaf.

To attract visitors, Desert Paintbrush surrounds its small flowers in dazzling capsules of color. Leaf like bracts, grow right below the flowers. When a creature notices the dazzling hue of a paintbrush bloom, it's actually being drawn to the plant's vivid bracts. Dipped in bright red, these leaves exert a powerful tug over hummingbirds, butterflies, and people too.

Desert Paintbrush can be found scattered throughout much of Parashant National Monument. Look for them in habitats ranging from sagebrush-scrub to pinyon-juniper woodlands from March to August.

 

An overhead view of Desert Paintbrush bracts. Each slender bright red petal is a bract that leads to the reproductive parts of the plant.

NPS/