The genus name is from a Spanish botanist, Domingo Castillejo. According to doctrine of signatures, Indian Paintbrush was used to soothe burned skin and to ease the burning sting of the centipede. Indian Women drank a concoction made from the roots to dry up menstrual flow.

A legend tells of an Indian brave who was trying to paint a picture of the sunset with his warpaints. Frustrated because he could not capture the wonderfully vibrant colors, he asked the Great Spirit for help. The Great Spirit gave him paintbrushes dripping with the colors of the sunset, which the brave used and then threw away. Wherever these brushes landed, there grows this plant.

Late June to early July