Lupinus leucophyllus
Velvet lupine
(c) Alex Abair, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alex Abair · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Lupinus leucophyllus (Velvet lupine) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by white-woolly hairs and erect branched habit.
Velvet lupine is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range Foothills, and North Coast Ranges in grassy hillsides and sagebrush flats at elevations of 500 to 2,000 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces lavender to purple flowers 10 to 13 millimeters long with a distinctive yellow to brown spot on the banner. Growing 40 to 90 centimeters tall with erect, branched stems covered in white woolly and long stiff hairs, it has an upright and bushy appearance. Its leaves are composed of 7 to 11 leaflets, each 30 to 70 millimeters long and 6 to 17 millimeters wide, with stipule lobes 6 to 15 millimeters long. The fruit is 2 to 3 centimeters long and hairy, containing 3 to 6 mottled gray-tan seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 42 sympatric species; key features are white-woolly hairs and erect branched habit
Habitat and range
Habitat: Grassy hillsides, sagebrush flats
Elevation: 500-2000 m
California counties: Siskiyou, Shasta, Trinity, Modoc, Lassen, Monterey, Mono, Plumas, Sonoma, San Diego, Napa
Outside California: to British Columbia, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado
Bloom period
Lupinus leucophyllus blooms May-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 leucophyllus native to California?
Yes. Lupinus leucophyllus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lupinus leucophyllus bloom?
Lupinus leucophyllus blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Lupinus leucophyllus grow?
Lupinus leucophyllus occurs in Siskiyou, Shasta, Trinity, Modoc, Lassen, Monterey, Mono, Plumas and other counties, at elevations of 500-2000 m.
What plant family does Lupinus leucophyllus belong to?
Lupinus leucophyllus is in the Fabaceae family, genus Lupinus.
What habitat does Lupinus leucophyllus grow in?
Lupinus leucophyllus grows in Grassy hillsides, sagebrush flats.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
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.