Indian paintbrush was designated the state flower of Wyoming in 1917. Also called prairie fire, Indian paintbrush is a genus of about 200 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants native to the west of the Americas from Alaska south to the Andes (as well as northeast Asia).
The species of Indian paintbrush adopted as a symbol of Wyoming (Castilleja linariaefolia) occurs on rocky slopes and arid plains and is associated with sagebrush scrub and pinyon pine or juniper woodland. It is native to Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming.
