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Taxon  Report  
Lupinus argenteus  Pursh
Silvery lupine
Lupinus argenteus is a perennial herb that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Subspecies and Varieties:
Genus: Lupinus
Family: Fabaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Toxicity: Do not eat any part of this plant.

Habitat: slopes

Communities: Sagebrush Scrub, Yellow Pine Forest, Bristle-cone Pine Forest, Northern Juniper Woodland

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS + POWO
Alternate Names:
iNatLupinus caudatus var. caudatus
OTHERLupinus corymbosus
Information about  Lupinus argenteus from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
This plant is available commercially.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (LUAR3)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

[Wikipedia] Butterfly & Bird Food Source: The plant is an important food source for butterflies. It also attracts birds and hummingbirds.[4] It is a host for the Arrowhead Blue (Glaucopsyche piasus) butterfly. (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 07/18/2025).