Purple Owl's Clover Seeds|Castilleja exserta|California Native Wildflowers|Native Plants|Native Seeds|Desert|Southwestern Wildflowers|Garden

Castilleja exserta (Purple Owl's Clover) is an annual species in the Orobanchaceae (Broomrape) family. The genus Castilleja encompasses numerous species, including the Indian paintbrushes. Purple Owl's Clover was formerly included in the genus Orthocarpus, and some sources may still refer to it by that name.

This species is native to the southwestern United States but may be found in places where it has been introduced, such as Hawaii. In California, there are three recognized subspecies with fairly distinct geographical ranges.

Although this species is variable in appearance and easily hybridizes with other Castilleja, it generally bears a brightly-colored flower cluster of shaggy pink-purple or lavender flowers that resemble clover (though they are not related). The plant's showy appearance when in flower makes it a great fit for informal meadows and related landscapes.

Its thin, erect leaves are usually tipped with the same color, giving the flower cluster the appearance of a paintbrush. It produces pods containing seeds.

Like other related plants in the family, this is a hemiparasite; it derives some of its nutrients directly from the roots of other plants by injecting them with root-like structures (called haustoria) that can absorb water and nutrients. Because of this structure, Castilleja species have been able to evolve to have small, reduced leaves. Therefore, Owl's Clover is almost always planted with a perennial species from its natural plant community to serve as the host plant