Tailcup Lupine
Lupinus caudatus
- Native to:
- United States
Unknown author Unknown author
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Lupinus
- Species:
- Lupinus caudatus
- USDA Symbol:
- LUCA
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 60 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- may,jun,jul,aug
- Bloom Colors:
- blue, purple, violet
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
- Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:
- ★★☆☆☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Reported Fauna Sightings
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies, birds
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from deep taproot after fire. Benefits from fire disturbance in sagebrush-steppe ecosystems.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 8.0 (neutral to slightly alkaline)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- native to arid and semi-arid regions
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 14–30 days
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 14–60 days
- Notes:
- Scarification of hard seed coat improves germination. Cold stratification beneficial but not always required after scarification.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Seed is placed in boiling water for 1 minute and then put on moistened blotter paper in a Petri dish to imbibe. Seed is refrigerated during the imbibing interval to retard fungal growth. Imbibed seed is inoculated with rhizobium and mycorrhizae then planted.
Establishment: Lupine pods shatter when ripe, requiring collection while the seed is still green. Pods are ripe for harvest when individual seeds can be readily made out as a pod is held to the sky. Seed can be collected by hand stripping or breaking or cutting ripened inflorescences. This species does not ripen uniformly. Multiple collecting trips are required to maximize harvest. Harvested lupine seeds and pods have high moisture content and must be spread out to dry quickly.
Source: npn.rngr.net