Lupinus rivularis
Riverbank lupine
(c) Shaan Aroeste, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Lupinus rivularis (Riverbank lupine) is a native California subshrub in the Fabaceae family, recognized by distinctive dark hollow stems and long pedicels.
Riverbank lupine is a California native perennial found in the northern Coast Ranges in sandy or gravelly open woods and river banks at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces violet flowers in open clusters 15 to 50 centimeters long with distinctive whorled arrangements. Growing with erect stems 35 to 100 centimeters tall, the plant has dark brown to red hollow stems that are nearly glabrous. Its palmate leaves have 5 to 9 leaflets, each 20 to 40 millimeters long and smooth on the upper surface, with distinctive stipules 7 to 15 millimeters long. The fruit is a dark pod 3 to 7 centimeters long, bearing 7 to 8 mottled brown seeds with a distinctive black line.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 22 sympatric species; distinctive dark hollow stems and long pedicels
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sand or gravel, open woods, river banks
Elevation: < 500 m
California counties: Humboldt, San Bernardino, Santa Cruz, Mendocino, Del Norte, Fresno, Siskiyou, Glenn, Alameda, San Luis Obispo, Tuolumne, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Lake, Santa Barbara, Amador, San Diego, Alpine, Plumas, Mariposa, Placer, El Dorado, Trinity, Shasta, Nevada
Outside California: to British Columbia
Bloom period
Lupinus rivularis 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 rivularis native to California?
Yes. Lupinus rivularis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lupinus rivularis bloom?
Lupinus rivularis blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Lupinus rivularis grow?
Lupinus rivularis occurs in Humboldt, San Bernardino, Santa Cruz, Mendocino, Del Norte, Fresno, Siskiyou, Glenn and other counties, at elevations of < 500 m.
What plant family does Lupinus rivularis belong to?
Lupinus rivularis is in the Fabaceae family, genus Lupinus.
What habitat does Lupinus rivularis grow in?
Lupinus rivularis grows in Sand or gravel, open woods, river banks.
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.