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Lupinus polyphyllus

Large-leaved Lupine

At a Glance: A large perennial native forb with spikes of blue flowers from one to many hairy stems.

Height: 3-6 feet (1-2 meters).
Growth Form: Herb.
Stems: Stems erect; hollow.
Leaves: Compound, divided into 5-18 leaflets that radiate from a central point, with smooth upper surfaces and hairy undersides; leaves are alternate along main stem, well below the flowers; size: leaflets 15-40 cm (6-16 in) long; color: green.
Flowers: Shaped like a pea flower; flower stalks are short; primary color: bluish-purple, brown with age; vary from pale blue to dark violet or purple; occasionally all-white; arranged in spikes 12-28 inches long along upper section of main stem.
Flowering Period: June.
Fruits: Pods covered with dense hairs; open on one side; contain bean-like seeds; size: 2.5-5 cm (1-2 in) long; color: black, with silvery hairs.


Photo © 2004, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	Moist to wet. wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status: FACU (facultative upland)	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
(data not available)

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover	Birds: Seeds valuable food for game and song birds. Insects: Silvery blue and other butterfly species use the flowers and vegetation. Mammals: Small mammals eat the seeds.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Landscape Uses: Widely cultivated as a garden ornamental; many colors and shades have been developed.
Name Info: May be derived from the Latin lupinus, for wolf, because it was a pea only fit for wolves. Another source suggests that it is wolfish because it depletes the soil of its nutrients, which is a serious misinterpretation because lupines fix nitrogen and actually fertilize poor soils. There is a possibility that Lupinus comes from the Greek lopos, a husk, or lepo, a hull or peel, in reference to the fruit

Suggested References

Guard, B.J. 1995. Wetland Plants of Oregon & Washington. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 116.
Hickman, J.C., ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press. Page 634.
Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 269.
Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 208.
Kruckeberg, A.R. 1996. 2nd ed. Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 162.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 195.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.