Lupinus truncatus
Truncated leaf lupine
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Lupinus truncatus (Truncated leaf lupine) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by distinctive truncated leaflet tips and flat, leaflet-like petioles.
Truncated leaf lupine is a California native annual found in central and southwestern coastal California in openings of coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and foothill woodland at elevations below 1,100 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces magenta flowers with a yellow banner spot, 8 to 13 millimeters long, arranged in sparse spiraled clusters. Growing 20 to 50 centimeters tall with finely hairy stems that appear almost smooth, it has a distinctive growth habit with multiple slender branches. Its leaves feature 5 to 8 linear leaflets, each 20 to 40 millimeters long with a characteristically truncate (squared-off) tip. The fruit is a hairy pod 2.5 to 3 centimeters long with 6 to 8 seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 43 sympatric species; distinctive truncated leaflet tips and flat, leaflet-like petioles
Habitat and range
Habitat: Locally common. Openings in coastal sage scrub, chaparral, foothill woodland, burns
Elevation: < 1100 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, Marin
Outside California: Baja California
Bloom period
Lupinus truncatus blooms Mar-May.
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 truncatus native to California?
Yes. Lupinus truncatus is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lupinus truncatus bloom?
Lupinus truncatus blooms Mar-May.
Where in California does Lupinus truncatus grow?
Lupinus truncatus occurs in San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and other counties, at elevations of < 1100 m.
What plant family does Lupinus truncatus belong to?
Lupinus truncatus is in the Fabaceae family, genus Lupinus.
What habitat does Lupinus truncatus grow in?
Lupinus truncatus grows in Locally common. Openings in coastal sage scrub, chaparral, foothill woodland, burns.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Lupinus uncialis — Lilliput lupine
- Lupinus adsurgens — Drew's silky lupine
- Lupinus affinis — Fleshy lupine
- Lupinus albicaulis — Sickle keeled lupine
- Lupinus albifrons — Silver bush lupine
- Lupinus albifrons var. abramsii — Abrams' lupine
- Marina orcuttii var. orcuttii — California marina
- Marina parryi — Parry dalea
- Marina sp.
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.