Lupinus microcarpus var. microcarpus
Shaggy haired chick lupine
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Lupinus microcarpus var. microcarpus (Shaggy haired chick lupine) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by long shaggy hairs and fruit arrangement.
Shaggy haired chick lupine is a California native annual found in the California Floristic Province, northern and western Mojave Desert in open or disturbed areas at elevations below 1,600 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces pink to purple (occasionally yellow or white) flowers with distinctive shaggy-hairy bracts and calyxes. Growing with upright stems that range from 10 to 50 centimeters tall, it forms delicate branching clusters. Its leaves are compound with multiple leaflets, typical of the lupine family, arranged in a palmate pattern. The fruit develops in generally erect pods that spread on multiple sides of the plant's axis.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 103 sympatric species; distinguished by long shaggy hairs and fruit arrangement
Habitat and range
Habitat: Abundant. Open or disturbed areas, occasionally seeded on roadbanks
Elevation: < 1600 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, Kern, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Inyo, Santa Barbara, Riverside, Tulare, Glenn, Monterey, Contra Costa, Fresno, San Benito, Placer, Amador, Colusa, San Diego, Yolo, El Dorado, Alameda, Modoc, Santa Clara, Sonoma, San Mateo, San Joaquin, Lassen, Butte, Stanislaus, Shasta, Tehama, Merced, Trinity, Siskiyou, Napa, Marin, San Francisco, Lake, Sutter, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sacramento, Mariposa
Outside California: to British Columbia, Nevada, Arizona, Baja California, South America
Bloom period
Lupinus microcarpus var. microcarpus blooms Mar-Jun.
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 microcarpus var. microcarpus native to California?
Yes. Lupinus microcarpus var. microcarpus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lupinus microcarpus var. microcarpus bloom?
Lupinus microcarpus var. microcarpus blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Lupinus microcarpus var. microcarpus grow?
Lupinus microcarpus var. microcarpus occurs in San Luis Obispo, Kern, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Inyo, Santa Barbara and other counties, at elevations of < 1600 m.
What plant family does Lupinus microcarpus var. microcarpus belong to?
Lupinus microcarpus var. microcarpus is in the Fabaceae family, genus Lupinus.
What habitat does Lupinus microcarpus var. microcarpus grow in?
Lupinus microcarpus var. microcarpus grows in Abundant. Open or disturbed areas, occasionally seeded on roadbanks.
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.