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Native Plant Database

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Lupinus bicolor (Miniature lupine)
Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia

Lupinus bicolor Lindl.

Miniature lupine, Miniature annual lupine, Pigmy-leaved lupine

Fabaceae (Pea Family)

USDA Symbol: LUBI

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

This is a small, blue and white, annual lupine growing to 16 in. in height. A usually small, grayish, hairy, branched plant with palmately compound leaves and blue-violet and white pea flowers arranged in whorls in short, thick, cone-like racemes. The pea-like flowers occur in a short raceme and are subtended by small, palmately compound leaves.

Miniature Lupine and California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) are common companions, the blue cast given to fields by the lupine perfectly complementing the fiery orange of the poppy. There are many other annual lupines. The oldest known viable seeds, discovered in 1967 frozen in a lemming burrow, are from an Arctic lupine estimated to be 10,000 years old; when planted the seeds germinated in 48 hours.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Fruit:
Size Class: 1-3 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Blue
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , OR , WA
Native Distribution: Vancouver I., B.C. to s. CA; perhaps introduced in AZ
Native Habitat: Sandy places below 3000 ft.
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Description: Sandy soils.

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees
Special Value to Bumble Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Description: Plant seeds.
Seed Collection: Not Available
Seed Treatment: Fresh seeds to do not require pretreatment. Stored seeds may benefit from scarification or hot water.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Lupinus bicolor in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Lupinus bicolor in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Lupinus bicolor

Metadata

Record Modified: 2010-04-25
Research By: TWC Staff

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