Carried by 2 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora
Lupinus leucophyllus is a species of lupine known by the common name velvet lupine. It is native to western North America, where it grows in many types of mountain, prairie, and plateau habitat. It is a robust, branching, erect perennial herb growing up to 90 centimeters tall. Each palmate leaf is divided into 7 to 11 leaflets up to 7 centimeters long. The herbage is coated in white woolly fibers and stiff hairs. The flower cluster is dense raceme of many flowers, each around a centimeter long. The flower is purple in color, fading brown, the patch on the banner petal yellow or brownish. The pointed sepals and the back of the banner are hairy to woolly in texture. This is one of several poisonous lupines that are dangerous to grazing livestock. The plant contains toxic alkaloids including lupinine and the teratogenic anagyrine.
Perennial herb
1 - 3 ft Tall
Blue, Lavender, Purple, Yellow, White, Brown
Full Sun
Moderate
For propagating by seed: Fresh seeds need no treatment. Stored seeds scarification or hot water.
Grassy slopes, sagebrush flats
Sagebrush Scrub, Yellow Pine Forest
Butterflies and moths supported
0 confirmed and 36 likely
Lupine Dagger
Acronicta lupini
Painted Tiger Moth
Arachnis picta
Alfalfa Looper Moth
Autographa californica
Forage Looper Moth
Caenurgina crassiuscula