Lupinus hyacinthinus
San jacinto mountain lupine
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Lupinus hyacinthinus (San jacinto mountain lupine) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by glabrous keel.
San jacinto mountain lupine is a California native perennial found in the San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, and Peninsular Ranges in dry slopes and forests from yellow pine to subalpine fir at elevations of 2,000 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces light blue to purple flowers with a yellowish to white spot on the banner, measuring 13 to 16 millimeters long. Growing 40 to 100 centimeters tall with an erect green stem that is slightly hairy, the plant has a distinctive upright form. Its leaves comprise 7 to 12 leaflets, each 30 to 80 millimeters long and 4 to 8 millimeters wide, arranged along the stem with stipules 5 to 16 millimeters long. The fruit is a silky pod 3 to 4 centimeters long, containing 3 to 7 beige seeds speckled with brown.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 34 sympatric species; key feature is glabrous keel
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry slopes, yellow pine to subalpine fir forests
Elevation: 2000-3500 m
California counties: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego
Outside California: Baja California
Bloom period
Lupinus hyacinthinus blooms Jun-Aug.
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 hyacinthinus native to California?
Yes. Lupinus hyacinthinus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lupinus hyacinthinus bloom?
Lupinus hyacinthinus blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Lupinus hyacinthinus grow?
Lupinus hyacinthinus occurs in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, at elevations of 2000-3500 m.
What plant family does Lupinus hyacinthinus belong to?
Lupinus hyacinthinus is in the Fabaceae family, genus Lupinus.
What habitat does Lupinus hyacinthinus grow in?
Lupinus hyacinthinus grows in dry slopes, yellow pine to subalpine fir forests.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- 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
- Lupinus latifolius var. viridifolius — Small flowered 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.