Native Plants

Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

Enter a Plant Name:
Or you can choose a plant family:

Lebsack, Tom

Lupinus caespitosus

Lupinus caespitosus Nutt.

Stemless Dwarf Lupine, Dwarf Lupine

Fabaceae (Pea Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: LUCA3

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Dwarf Lupine is a member of the pea family (Fabaceae), which includes trees, shrubs, herbs, and vines with compound or occasionally simple leaves and flowers usually in clusters.

From the Image Gallery

7 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Root Type: Tap
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Palmate
Leaf Pubescence: Tomentose
Inflorescence: Raceme , Terminal
Fruit Type: Legume
Size Notes: Up to about 10 inches tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Blue , Purple , Violet
Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: CA , CO , ID , MT , NV , OR , UT , WY

Benefit

Warning: Plants in the genus Lupinus, especially the seeds, can be toxic to humans and animals if ingested. Sensitivity to a toxin varies with age, weight, physical condition, and individual susceptibility. Children are most vulnerable because of their curiosity and small size.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

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.

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 36 - Jepson eFlora (2019) The Jepson Herbarium, University of California, Berkeley
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

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

Metadata

Record Modified: 2026-05-19
Research By: TWC Staff

Go back