Lupinus albicaulis
Sickle keeled lupine
(c) Ed Alverson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Lupinus albicaulis (Sickle keeled lupine) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by curved keel is key feature.
Sickle keeled lupine is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, and western Transverse Ranges in dry montane slopes and openings at elevations of 500 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces purple to yellow-white flowers with a distinctively curved keel in inflorescences 10 to 44 centimeters long. Growing 30 to 120 centimeters tall with erect stems covered in fine puberulent to silky-appressed hairs, it develops an upright, open structure. Its green to green-gray leaves are composed of 5 to 10 leaflets, each 20 to 70 millimeters long, with prominent stipules 5 to 18 millimeters in length. The fruit is a silky pod 2 to 5 centimeters long, containing 3 to 7 gray to tan mottled seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 62 sympatric species; diagnostic curved keel is key feature
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry slopes, openings, +- montane
Elevation: 500-3000 m
California counties: Fresno, Ventura, El Dorado, San Bernardino, Butte, Kern, Plumas, Mono, Tulare, San Diego, Humboldt, Siskiyou, Mariposa, Shasta, Calaveras, Amador, Los Angeles, Placer, Trinity, Alpine, Sierra, Tehama, Tuolumne, Nevada, Contra Costa, Madera, Del Norte, Yuba, Napa, San Mateo
Outside California: to Washington
Bloom period
Lupinus albicaulis blooms May-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Salvia: Lupine has pea flowers and palmate leaves; sage has tubular two-lipped flowers and opposite leaves.; vs Artemisia: Lupine has large showy flower spikes; sagebrush has tiny inconspicuous flowers and silvery aromatic foliage.; vs Thermopsis: Lupine typically has 7-11 leaflets; false lupine has exactly 3 leaflets and bright yellow flowers.; vs Delphinium: Lupine has pea flowers; larkspur has flowers with prominent backward-pointing spur.; vs Vicia: Lupine is upright with palmate leaves; vetch is climbing with pinnate leaves and tendrils.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lupinus albicaulis native to California?
Yes. Lupinus albicaulis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lupinus albicaulis bloom?
Lupinus albicaulis blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Lupinus albicaulis grow?
Lupinus albicaulis occurs in Fresno, Ventura, El Dorado, San Bernardino, Butte, Kern, Plumas, Mono and other counties, at elevations of 500-3000 m.
What plant family does Lupinus albicaulis belong to?
Lupinus albicaulis is in the Fabaceae family, genus Lupinus.
What habitat does Lupinus albicaulis grow in?
Lupinus albicaulis grows in dry slopes, openings, +- montane.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Lupinus albifrons — Silver bush lupine
- Lupinus albifrons var. abramsii — Abrams' lupine
- Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons — Silver bush lupine
- Lupinus albifrons var. austromontanus — Southern mountain lupine
- Lupinus albifrons var. collinus — Low-growing silver lupine
- Lupinus albifrons var. douglasii — Long-bracted silver lupine
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.