I dug this photo out from the archives in my iPhone. It was taken on my husband's birthday back in 2020. Paintbrush, (or its botanical name "Castilleja" that I just learned today) is my favourite wildflower. I grew up in Northern B.C. and Paintbrush was a common appearance on our farm. Now I have to go on a two hour drive to find it in bushes or the ditches alongside the highways west of me.
It may not be the prettiest of flowers and it doesn't have an amazing fragrance, but it's wild and that's what I love about it. It grows in its own place on it's own time and with no need to be domesticated in someone's garden.
I admire the things in nature that stay in nature. I realize that they face their own dangers, but they make the world a beautiful place without the manicuring hands of humans.
Castilleja is Spanish for Castle. Castilleja, the wildflower, was named by botanist José Celestino Mutis in honor of Spanish botanist Domingo Castillejo.
"In Native American cultures, the [Castilleja or otherwise labelled as Indian Paintbrush] has been a symbol of creativity and artistic inspiration. Tribes such as the Apache and Comanche believed that these flowers were gifts from the Great Spirit, meant to inspire painters and artists." (Wikipedia)
What's not to admire about a flower that inspires creativity. Now I know why my heart fell in love with this flower... and I didn't even realize it until now!
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