A different sort of paintbrush

By far the best-known paintbrush in Texas is Castilleja indivisa, know as Indian paintbrush, which you saw last month mixed in with bluebonnets. Another species that grows in central Texas is Castilleja purpurea, which in spite of its species name comes not only in purple (var. purpurea) but also in yellow (var. citrina) and a shade that ranges from orange to red (var. lindheimeri). It’s obviously the last of those varieties that you’re seeing here from my visit to the Doeskin Ranch in Burnet County on April 8.

© 2016 Steven Schwartzman