Purple Owl's-clover
Castilleja exserta · Orobanchaceae
- Form
- Annual herb
- Height
- 4-18 in
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Water
- Low
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr, May
- Pet toxicity
- Unknown
- Habitat
- Grassland · Coastal Sage Scrub · Chaparral
🌿 California native
Quick facts
- Habitat: Open grassland, coastal sage scrub, and chaparral openings
- Form / size: Spring annual, 4-18 in
- Sun: Full sun · Water: Winter rain only
- Blooms: Spring · Pollinator value: High
Description
A spring annual with narrow leaves and dense pink-purple flower spikes made showy by colorful bracts. Like paintbrushes, it is partly parasitic on neighboring plants, so it belongs in intact annual plant communities rather than isolated pots.
Wildlife & pollinators
Important for native bees and butterflies; also a familiar component of spring wildflower displays.
Habitat & range
Open grasslands, scrub openings, wildflower fields, and post-disturbance native annual habitat across Southern California.
In the garden
Best in native annual mixes where other host plants are present. It is not a normal bedding plant and may fail if sown alone.
Propagation
From seed, sown in fall with companion native annuals or grasses.
Where to see it near you
- iNaturalist — observed in Southern California
- Spring grasslands and open scrub after good winter rains.
Problems
Not usually problematic. As a hemiparasitic annual, it is sensitive to community context.
Sources
Commonly confused with
Wavyleaf Paintbrush 🌿 Castilleja applegatei more montane/sagebrush and usually taller, with different bract color and habitat. 
