Lupinus pratensis var. eriostachyus

Hairy bannered inyo meadow lupine

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Hairy bannered inyo meadow lupine is a California native perennial found in the southern eastern Sierra Nevada in the Big Pine Creek area of Inyo County, inhabiting moist places at elevations of 1,500 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from May to September, this lupine produces flowers with distinctive hairy banners that create a soft, textured appearance. Growing with erect stems that form clumped clusters, it reaches moderate heights typical of mountain meadow lupines. Its compound leaves feature multiple leaflets arranged in a palmate pattern, creating a delicate green backdrop for its flowering stalks. The plant's dense, hairy banner gives it a unique character among alpine meadow wildflowers.

Habitat: Moist places

Bloom period: May-Sep

Elevation: 1500-3500 m

Bioregions: SNE (Big Pine Creek, Inyo Co.).

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