Lupinus albifrons
silver bush lupine
Attracts PollinatorsAttracts ButterfliesDeer ResistantDrought TolerantFragrant (light)
Native to North America
Overview
Lupinus albifrons is an evergreen shrub in the pea family, forming a rounded, woody mound 2-5 feet (60-150 cm) tall and nearly as wide. The palmately compound leaves are divided into 7-10 narrow leaflets, each 0.5-1.5 inches (1.5-4 cm) long and densely covered in silvery, silky hairs that give the plant a gray-white sheen. Upright flower spikes 3-12 inches (8-30 cm) tall rise above the foliage from spring into early summer, packed with blue to violet pea flowers that often carry a white or pale patch on the banner. The flowers are fragrant and draw native bees and butterflies. Flat, hairy seed pods follow and split open to scatter seed. It grows on dry slopes, bluffs, road cuts, and sandy or rocky ground in California and into Oregon, often in chaparral and coastal scrub. The silvery foliage stays present year-round, though the shrub is short-lived, often declining after five to seven years. As a nitrogen-fixing legume it improves poor soils, but it resents summer water and rich ground, which shorten its life. It tolerates drought, heat, and lean soil once established.
Native Range
Native to California and southwestern Oregon, where it grows in coastal scrub, chaparral, and dry inland slopes from sea level to the lower mountains.Suggested Uses
Used in native, drought-tolerant, and pollinator gardens and on dry slopes for erosion control. Planted in coastal scrub and chaparral restoration. Its silvery foliage and short life suit informal, naturalized plantings that can reseed.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2' - 5'
Width/Spread3' - 5'
Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
blue to violet, often with a white banner patchFoliage Description
silvery gray-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grows in full sun and dry, fast-draining sandy or rocky soil, matching its native slopes. Once established, it is strongly drought tolerant and needs no summer water, which causes root rot in this species. As a legume it fixes nitrogen and grows in lean soils without fertilizer. It is short-lived, often declining after five to seven years, but self-sows where soil is open. Light shaping after bloom keeps the form dense. Propagation is from scarified seed, which germinates more readily after a brief heat or hot-water treatment.Pruning
Light pruning after flowering removes spent flower spikes and keeps the shrub compact. Hard cutting into old, leafless wood is minimized, since lupines regrow poorly from bare stems. Removing spent spikes before seed set reduces self-sowing.Pruning Schedule
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
summer