The unforgettable vivid orange-red bracts of the harsh paintbrush provide the garden with many weeks of color. Like all paintbrushes, these plants are hemi-parasites and require a host plant to thrive. Ours come potted with their hosts (often Idaho fescue), so it is important to plant them together! Harsh paintbrush is a xeric, sun-loving species, and will do well in a prairie or open woodland setting. They look stunning with lupine and arrowleaf balsamroot (a spring trifecta of sorts).