Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons
Silver bush lupine
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Family: Fabaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons (Silver bush lupine) is a native California shrub in the Fabaceae family, recognized by large shrub habit with distinct trunk.
Silver bush lupine is a California native shrub found in northwestern California, the Sierra Nevada, central western California, southern California coastal areas, Channel Islands, western Transverse Ranges, San Gabriel Mountains, and Peninsular Ranges in chaparral and foothill woodland at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces silvery-white to purple flowers in dense clusters 8 to 30 centimeters long. Growing as an upright shrub 50 to 500 centimeters tall with a distinct trunk, it features a striking silver-silky appearance. Its leaves have 6 to 10 leaflets, each 10 to 30 millimeters long, with prominent stipules 7 to 10 millimeters in length. The plant's distinctive silver-gray foliage and elegant flower clusters make it a notable feature of California's Mediterranean landscapes.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 75 sympatric species - distinguished by large shrub habit with distinct trunk
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Chaparral, foothill woodland
Elevation: < 1500 m
California counties: Amador, Placer, Kern, Tuolumne, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Riverside, Tulare, San Mateo, Madera, Colusa, Monterey, Contra Costa, Fresno, Shasta, Calaveras, Lake, San Benito, Trinity, Marin, Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, Alameda, Lassen, Santa Clara, Plumas, Stanislaus, Napa, Mendocino, San Joaquin, San Diego, Humboldt, San Francisco, Ventura, Butte, Orange, Sutter, Modoc, El Dorado, Nevada, Del Norte, Glenn, Mariposa, Solano, Tehama, San Bernardino, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Yuba, Sacramento, Kings, Yolo, Inyo, Imperial
Outside California: southern Oregon
Bloom period
Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons blooms Mar-Jun.
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 albifrons var. albifrons native to California?
Yes. Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons bloom?
Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons grow?
Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons occurs in Amador, Placer, Kern, Tuolumne, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Riverside, Tulare and other counties, at elevations of < 1500 m.
What plant family does Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons belong to?
Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons is in the Fabaceae family, genus Lupinus.
What habitat does Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons grow in?
Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons grows in Common. Chaparral, foothill woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Lupinus albifrons var. austromontanus — Southern mountain lupine
- Lupinus albifrons var. collinus — Low-growing silver lupine
- Lupinus albifrons var. douglasii — Long-bracted silver lupine
- Lupinus albifrons var. hallii — Hall's bush lupine
- Lupinus albifrons var. johnstonii — Johnston's silver lupine
- Lupinus albifrons var. medius — Mountain springs 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.