Lupinus odoratus

Mojave lupine

Family: Fabaceae · Type: annual · Native

Mojave lupine is a California native annual found in the Great Basin and Desert bioregions in sandy flats, creosote bush scrub, and Joshua tree woodland at elevations of 500 to 1,600 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces deep blue-purple flowers with a white or yellow banner spot that turns magenta with age, creating a violet-scented display. Growing with slender stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall, the plant develops sparse short hairs in its youth before becoming glabrous. Its basal leaves feature 7 to 9 bright green leaflets, each 10 to 20 millimeters long and occasionally obovate in shape. The fruit is an oblong pod 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters long with a wavy upper suture and dense long cilia.

Habitat: Sandy flats, open areas, creosote bush scrub, Joshua tree woodland

Bloom period: Apr-May(Jun)

Elevation: 500-1600 m

Bioregions: GB, D

California counties: San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Kern, Inyo, Mono, San Diego, Riverside

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