Lupinus argenteus
Silvery lupine
(c) Tim Messick, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tim Messick · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Lupinus argenteus (Silvery lupine) is a native California subshrub in the Fabaceae family.
Silvery lupine is a California native perennial herb found in montane and subalpine habitats at elevations ranging from mountain meadows to alpine zones. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces blue, violet, or white flowers with a subtle yellow or white spot on the banner petal. Growing with erect stems 10 to 70 centimeters tall, it develops a distinctive silvery to green-glabrous appearance with complex leaf structures. Its leaves feature 5 to 9 narrow leaflets 10 to 60 millimeters long, with hairy undersides and glabrous to lightly hairy upper surfaces. The fruit is a hairy or silky pod 1 to 3 centimeters long, containing 2 to 6 seeds in tan, brown, or reddish tones.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 0 sympatric species - geographically isolated
Habitat and range
California counties: Mono, Inyo, San Bernardino, Modoc, Amador, Alpine, Siskiyou, Shasta, Lassen, Tuolumne, Nevada, Plumas, Sierra, Butte, Tulare, Tehama, Del Norte, El Dorado, Placer, Los Angeles
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 argenteus native to California?
Yes. Lupinus argenteus is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Lupinus argenteus grow?
Lupinus argenteus occurs in Mono, Inyo, San Bernardino, Modoc, Amador, Alpine, Siskiyou, Shasta and other counties.
What plant family does Lupinus argenteus belong to?
Lupinus argenteus is in the Fabaceae family, genus Lupinus.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Lupinus argenteus var. argenteus — Silvery lupine
- Lupinus argenteus var. heteranthus — Silver spurred lupine
- Lupinus argenteus var. meionanthus — Small flowered sierran lupine
- Lupinus argenteus var. montigenus — Long petioled silver lupine
- Lupinus argenteus var. palmeri — Palmer's lupine
- Lupinus arizonicus — Arizona 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.