Hairy Bigleaf Lupine
Lupinus prunophilus
- Native to:
- United States
Matt Berger https://www.inaturalist.org/people/sheriff_woody_pct (www.inaturalist.org)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Lupinus
- Species:
- Lupinus prunophilus
- USDA Symbol:
- LUPR2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 60 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- 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
Hystrichophora paradisiae, yellow stoneroot borer (Papaipema pertincta), Hecla sulphur (Colias hecla), Mountain Clouded Yellow (Colias nastes), Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus), Western Blue (Plebejus icarioides)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies, birds
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from root crown following fire; nitrogen-fixing ability aids post-fire soil recovery.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- native to arid regions, prefers open, sunny areas
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. Seeds may germinate erratically over several weeks.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: Seed is placed in boiling water for 1 minute, then placed on moistened blotter paper in a Petri dish to imbibe for a week. Seed is refrigerated during this period to retard fungal growth. Imbibed seed is inoculated with rhizobium and mycorrhizae before planting.
Establishment: Lupine pods shatter when ripe, requiring collection while the seed is still green. Harvested lupine seeds and pods have high moisture content and must be quickly spread out to dry. Seed typically dries to between 5 and 7 % of the initial green bulk weight.
Source: npn.rngr.net