Lupinus breweri var. grandiflorus

Showy brewer's lupine

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Showy brewer's lupine is a California native perennial found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, southern Sierra Nevada, and eastern Sierra Nevada in montane conifer forests at elevations of 2,000 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces blue to purple flowers in compact clusters 2 to 10 centimeters long with distinctive silky banner petals. Growing with a matted form and an above-ground caudex extending across the terrain, it creates low-spreading patches in alpine environments. Its leaves are composed of 6 to 11 millimeter leaflets, arranged in a delicate, compact arrangement. The flower's keel is edged with fine cilia, adding a subtle textural detail to its elegant alpine presentation.

Habitat: Montane conifer forests

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: 2000-3500 m

Bioregions: SNH, SnBr, SNE.

California counties: Fresno, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Mono, Tulare, Kern, Tuolumne, Riverside, Placer, Sierra, Trinity, Nevada

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.