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Silver Lupine
Lupinus albifrons
  
About Silver Lupine (Lupinus albifrons) 50 Nurseries Carry This Plant The evergreen silver lupine provides year-round interest in the garden. A member of the pea family, it has attractive silver-green leaves that add a pop of color and texture to the garden. In the spring, it boasts large flower spikes that range in color from pale blue to deep purple. The blooms are attractive to pollinators, especially bees.

This stunning shrub prefers dry, sandy, well-drained soil. No need to add compost; silver lupines do best in nutrient-poor soil. Plant in full sun and limit summer water. This plant can be short-lived but does well in the right conditions.
Bornstein, David, et al. California Native Plants for the Garden. Cachuma Press, 2005.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
3.2 - 5 ft tall
2 - 3 ft wide

Form
Form
Mounding, Spreading

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color
Flower Color
Blue, Lavender, Purple

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring, Summer

Wildlife Supported
 
Very attractive to bees

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 7 confirmed , 49 likely * ) SHOW ALL
Dicymolomia metalliferalis Image
Dicymolomia metalliferalisDicymolomia metalliferalis
Syncopacma nigrella Image
Syncopacma nigrellaSyncopacma nigrella
Chionodes braunella Image
Chionodes braunellaChionodes braunella
Epinotia infuscana Image
Epinotia infuscanaEpinotia infuscana
Sparganothis senecionana Image
Sparganothis senecionanaSparganothis senecionana

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to -10° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast

Soil Description
Soil Description
Occurs in a variety of soils. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Because this species occurs over such a large part of the state in different habitats, it has many companion plants in the wild. In the garden, plant with other species that prefer fast drainage and moderately dry conditions.

Propagation
Propagation?
By seed

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Because this species occurs in such diverse parts of the state, it may be found in a number of settings and habitats including chaparral or coastal sage scrub in seaside conditions on coastal terraces, bluffs, canyons or mesas, as well as open areas in coastal or foothill woodlands with evergreen forest

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 4.9" - 130.5", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 4.08", Coldest Month: 21.0" - 56.7", Hottest Month: 42.0" - 84.4", Humidity: 0.08" - 35.52", Elevation: -7" - 12091"


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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