Paintbrush on the cliff edge
Castilleja sp.
Coastal areas Northern California · 25 April 2025
Indian paintbrush growing straight out of the iceplant at the cliff's edge, one of the natives still holding a foothold among it. The orange is not petals but bracts around a comparatively plain green flower.
Paintbrush is a partial parasite. It photosynthesises, but it also sends its roots into the roots of its neighbours and draws water and minerals from them, which is why it is nearly impossible to grow in a garden and does so well in poor ground.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
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