Illustration of Indian paintbrush
Indian paintbrush
noun
1
: any of a genus (Castilleja of the family Orobanchaceae) of chiefly American herbaceous plants that have brightly colored bracts
called also painted cup
2
Examples of Indian paintbrush in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
From March to May, the hiking trails are sprinkled with vibrant yellow desert marigolds, deep purple lupines, and bright red and orange Indian paintbrush blooms, among other varieties.
—
Annie Daly,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
Bucket List Blooms: Indian paintbrush, mustard, poppies, purple phacelia.
—
Joe Yogerst,
Forbes.com,
11 Feb. 2026
The rare, butter-yellow, soft-leaved Indian paintbrush is endemic to the Channel Islands but is typically only found on Santa Rosa Island these days.
—
Deb Hopewell,
AFAR Media,
29 Jan. 2026
Bonus buds that time of year include lupine, Indian paintbrush, and chocolate lily.
—
Emma Veidt,
Outside Online,
14 Apr. 2025
Hikers can enjoy the coastal sage scrub vegetation, including blooming plants like Indian paintbrush, California broom and black sage.
—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Apr. 2024
The federally endangered Bear Valley sandwort, Ash-gray Indian paintbrush, and southern mountain wild-buckwheat are no match for the cascading impacts of soil disturbances caused by burros on the move.
—
Louis Sahagún,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Sep. 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Annie Daly,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
Bucket List Blooms: Indian paintbrush, mustard, poppies, purple phacelia.
—
Joe Yogerst,
Forbes.com,
11 Feb. 2026
The rare, butter-yellow, soft-leaved Indian paintbrush is endemic to the Channel Islands but is typically only found on Santa Rosa Island these days.
—
Deb Hopewell,
AFAR Media,
29 Jan. 2026
Bonus buds that time of year include lupine, Indian paintbrush, and chocolate lily.
—
Emma Veidt,
Outside Online,
14 Apr. 2025
Hikers can enjoy the coastal sage scrub vegetation, including blooming plants like Indian paintbrush, California broom and black sage.
—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Apr. 2024
The federally endangered Bear Valley sandwort, Ash-gray Indian paintbrush, and southern mountain wild-buckwheat are no match for the cascading impacts of soil disturbances caused by burros on the move.
—
Louis Sahagún,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Sep. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Indian paintbrush.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Indian%20paintbrush. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
