Lupinus hirsutissimus
Stinging lupine
(c) Millie Basden, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Lupinus hirsutissimus (Stinging lupine) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by stinging hairs and pink/magenta flowers.
Stinging lupine is a California native annual found in central coastal areas including San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains, and southwestern regions in dry, rocky coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and open woodlands at elevations below 1,400 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces dark pink to magenta flowers with a yellow banner spot that dries to purple, clustered in spiraled inflorescences 10 to 30 centimeters long. Growing 2 to 10 decimeters tall, often reaching over 1 meter after fire, the plant has distinctive short-appressed and stiff-spreading stinging hairs that cover its stems. Its leaves have 5 to 8 leaflets, each 2 to 5 centimeters long and 1 to 2 centimeters wide, arranged on petioles 4 to 9 centimeters long. The fruit is 2 to 4 centimeters long, covered in coarse hairs, and contains 3 to 6 seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 43 sympatric species; key features are stinging hairs and pink/magenta flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: Locally common. Dry, rocky areas, burns, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, open woodlands
Elevation: < 1400 m
California counties: San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara
Outside California: Baja California
Bloom period
Lupinus hirsutissimus blooms Mar-May.
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 hirsutissimus native to California?
Yes. Lupinus hirsutissimus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lupinus hirsutissimus bloom?
Lupinus hirsutissimus blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Lupinus hirsutissimus grow?
Lupinus hirsutissimus occurs in San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Monterey and other counties, at elevations of < 1400 m.
What plant family does Lupinus hirsutissimus belong to?
Lupinus hirsutissimus is in the Fabaceae family, genus Lupinus.
What habitat does Lupinus hirsutissimus grow in?
Lupinus hirsutissimus grows in Locally common. Dry, rocky areas, burns, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, open woodlands.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Lupinus hyacinthinus — San jacinto mountain lupine
- Lupinus lapidicola — Heller's mount eddy lupine
- Lupinus latifolius — Bigleaf lupine
- Lupinus latifolius var. dudleyi — Dudley's broadleaf lupine
- Lupinus latifolius var. latifolius — Broadleaf lupine
- Lupinus latifolius var. parishii — Parish's broadleaf 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.