Florida paintbrush (Carphephorus corymbosus), also known as coastal-plain chaffhead or deer tongue, is a striking Florida-native perennial wildflower in the Asteraceae family. It is widespread across much of peninsular Florida (including the central and southern regions, with occurrences in counties like Bay and Jackson in the Panhandle), thriving in dry to mesic upland habitats such as longleaf pine flatwoods, sandhills, scrubby flatwoods, pine rocklands, open woodlands, and occasionally ruderal or disturbed sites—preferring well-drained, sandy, acidic soils with full sun to light shade.
This herbaceous perennial forms a low basal rosette of leaves (typically 1–3 inches tall) in its non-flowering stage, then sends up a single, erect, leafy stem reaching 1–3 feet tall (often 2–3 feet when in bloom). Stems are sturdy and somewhat hairy, bearing alternate, simple, lance-shaped to elliptic leaves that are medium to dark green, slightly rough-textured, with entire to sparsely toothed margins. The foliage has a somewhat leathery feel and can resemble a "deer tongue" shape in some descriptions.
From late summer through fall—typically peaking in August to November—Florida paintbrush produces showy, small, numerous tubular disc florets in vibrant pinkish-purple to bluish-purple or violet hues. These dense, brush-like flower heads (lacking ray florets) create a painterly, vivid burst of color that resembles an artist's paintbrush dipped in magenta, often described as one of Florida's showiest late-season wildflowers. The blooms are highly fragrant and persist for weeks, serving as a major late-season nectar source.
These flowers are extremely attractive to butterflies, bees, and other pollinators, drawing them in droves during a time when many other natives have finished blooming. The plant supports local ecosystems by providing essential resources for insects and offering seeds for birds.
Low-maintenance and drought-tolerant once established, Florida paintbrush prefers full sun and dry to moderately moist sandy soils (it handles poor fertility well but does not tolerate prolonged wet conditions or heavy shade). It dies back in winter and regrows from the basal rosette each spring. As a beautiful, pollinator-friendly native, it's an excellent addition to sandhill restorations, dry wildflower gardens, pine flatwood edges, naturalistic landscapes, or butterfly gardens in Florida, adding bold fall color.

 
Size: 1 gal
 
Shipping materials are recycled. Please feel free to compost our shredded paper we use for cushioning. The package and loose-fill packing may have been reused. Feel free to reuse again, use as mulch, compost, or recycle.
 
Plants are only shipped on Mondays and Tuesdays. This is to avoid plants sitting at a post office or warehouse over a weekend and reducing shipping stress on plants. Plants arrive healthier and quicker when you select faster shipping such as priority shipping. Plants ship from Florida. Keep that in mind when deciding to buy and selecting shipping options.
 
Seed packets ship any day of the week and are commonly shipped in envelopes paid by stamp. There will be no tracking information for seed packets shipped in this way. Customers will be notified when seed packets are sent. 
 
No refunds, exchanges, or returns. By purchasing this plant, you are accepting the risk of having plants mailed to you. We package plants very carefully. We can not be responsible for how the carrier handles them or transient through different tempratures. Our most common carriers are UPS and USPS. Any damaged packages, damaged plants, dead plants or irregular shipping patterns should be claimed through the UPS or USPS insurance claims system. All orders come with a standard insurance of up to $100.00. You will need to provide the following for an insurance claim:Receipt of your order that you can obtain through your order history or email.Pictures of the package upon arrivalPictures of the contents upon arrival
If you need any help filing a claim, please reach out to us. 
 
By becoming a site member, you can ensure easy checkout for future orders. All site members are currently eligible to use a promo code for 15% all online nursery orders. Promo codes are emailed to site members after completion of registration. 
 
Leave us a review! All reviews (both good and bad) will receive a promo code for a discount of 25% off future orders. Limited to a one time use per customer.