Lupinus formosus var. formosus

Western lupine

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Western lupine is a California native perennial found in the California Floristic Province and Mojave Desert in dry clay soils, grasslands, and open pine woodlands at elevations up to 1,000 meters. Flowering from April to September, this plant produces blue to purple flowers about 10 to 14 millimeters long in distinctive clusters. Growing with sturdy stems 3 to 4 millimeters in diameter, it forms upright clumps reaching 30 to 60 centimeters tall. Its compound leaves are composed of 5 to 7 narrow, elongated leaflets arranged like fingers on a hand, giving the plant a delicate, fan-like appearance. In dry habitats, this lupine serves as an important nectar source for native pollinators and adds vibrant color to California's grassland and woodland landscapes.

Habitat: dry clay soils, grasslands, open areas under pines

Bloom period: Apr-Sep

Elevation: < 1000(3000) m

Bioregions: CA-FP, DMoj.

California counties: Kern, Tuolumne, Alameda, Los Angeles, Tulare, San Bernardino, San Diego, Riverside, San Mateo, Sonoma, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Humboldt, Marin, Plumas, Santa Barbara, Solano, Mono, Ventura, Contra Costa, Lake, San Joaquin, Santa Cruz, Calaveras, Fresno, El Dorado, San Benito, Yolo, Mariposa

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