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Lupinus succulentus

arroyo lupine

Fabaceae California and Baja California

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

Overview

Lupinus succulentus is a stout annual wildflower growing 1-3 feet (30-90 cm) tall on thick, hollow, somewhat succulent stems. The palmate leaves are divided into seven to nine fleshy, wedge-shaped leaflets 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) long, often holding beads of water at the leaf center. From late winter into spring it produces upright spikes of pea-like flowers in deep blue-purple, each with a white to magenta spot on the upper petal that turns reddish after pollination. The flowers are followed by hairy pods that split and twist to fling out the seed. As a legume it fixes nitrogen and grows quickly on disturbed ground. It is native to California and Baja California, where it covers open fields, roadsides, and slopes after winter rains, often in showy stands. The plant germinates with cool-season moisture, blooms in spring, sets seed, and dies by summer. It self-seeds freely but completes its whole life in one season, so it must reestablish from seed each year. The seeds and foliage contain alkaloids that are toxic to people and animals if eaten.

Native Range

Native to California and Baja California, Mexico, mainly in the coastal ranges, valleys, and foothills. It grows in open fields, grasslands, roadsides, and disturbed slopes below about 2,500 feet (760 m).

Suggested Uses

Used in wildflower meadows, native seed mixes, and spring displays in Mediterranean climates. It combines with California poppy, other lupines, and annual grasses for mass color. The toxic seeds and short annual life make it suited to naturalized plantings rather than beds where children or pets graze.

How to Identify

Identified by thick, hollow, succulent stems and palmate leaves of seven to nine fleshy leaflets that often cup water at the center. The flowers are deep blue-purple pea flowers in upright spikes, each banner marked with a white to magenta spot. The fleshy stems and large leaflets separate it from the many slender-stemmed annual lupines of the region.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 3'

Width/Spread1' - 2'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~8 weeks

Spring

Blooms from late winter into spring, generally February to May, with timing set by winter rainfall. Upright spikes of blue-purple flowers open from the bottom up over several weeks. Twisting seed pods follow and fling seed as they dry, after which the annual plant declines.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

deep blue-purple with a white to magenta banner spot

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-12 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

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay sand

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun on well-drained loamy, clay, or sandy soils with a pH of about 6.0-7.5, germinating with cool fall and winter rains. As a nitrogen-fixing annual it needs no fertilizer and grows quickly on lean or disturbed ground. Established seedlings tolerate dry spells, and little or no irrigation is needed once they are up. It is grown from seed sown in fall where plants are to grow, since the taproot makes transplanting difficult. Soaking or scarifying the hard seed coat improves germination. Wet summer soils and heavy shade do not suit it.

Pruning

No pruning is needed for this annual. Spent flower spikes can be removed to tidy the plant, though leaving some pods lets it self-seed for the following year. Plants are cleared after they dry and set seed.