Lupinus argenteus var. parviflorus
Perennial western North American legume with showy blue-to-purple flowers in summer, palmate leaves of 6–9 leaflets, moderate water needs, and value for pollinators and wildlife, native to Colorado foothills and mountains and occurring in sagebrush steppe, grasslands, piñon–juniper woodlands, and ponderosa pine forests.
Common Names
Silvery Lupine
Summary
Silvery lupine is native to Colorado, grows 8 inches to 2 feet tall with a 1 to 1.5 ft spread, has a herbaceous growth form sometimes described as a subshrub, and blooms June–September with blue to purple flowers and green leaves.
It prefers full sun to part sun and moderate water in variable soils and is a perennial. It is used in city landscape programs and is suited to Foothills and Mountain plant communities, with showy flowers. It serves as a food source for many native invertebrates and supports hummingbirds and pollinators, and it is not aggressive with limited availability.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
8-24 inches
Spread
12-18 inches
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun, partial sun
Soil Type
Soil type not specified in the provided facts.
Soil Drainage
Moist soils
Bloom Color
Blue shades, Purple shades
Bloom Time
Summer and Fall
Foliage Color
Green shades
Fall Foliage Color
Green Shades
Seasons of Interest
Summer and Fall
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, other pollinators, birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Variety
- Author
- (Nutt. ex Hook. & Arn.) C.L.Hitchc.
- Publication
- Vasc. Pl. Pacif. N.W. 3: 302 (1961)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Fabales
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Subfamily
- Papilionoideae
- Genus
- Lupinus
- Species
- Lupinus argenteus
Synonyms
Lupinus parviflorus Lupinus allimicranthus Lupinus argenteus subsp. parviflorus