Broadleaf Lupine
Broadleaf Lupine
- Scientific name: Lupinus latifolius
- Bright blue flower with a white petal
- It can persist on low-fertility soils
- Nitrogen fixing
- Excellent choice as a pioneering plant in a disturbed area
- Poisonous to most animals
- Excellent pollinator species
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Product Description
Broadleaf Lupine (Lupinus latifolius) is a native perennial forb that grows from 12-34 inches in height. Broadleaf Lupine has a bright blue flower with a white petal. As a legume, it can persist on low-fertility soils because of it’s ability to fix nitrogen. This characteristic makes most lupine species an excellent choice as a pioneering plant in a disturbed area.
Broadleaf Lupine is found in western North America from British Columbia to Baja California. In the lower 48 states it most frequently occurs in the pacific northwest, and is found in abundance in eastern Oregon and Washington states.
Broadleaf Lupine is useful as a reclamation species due in part to it’s deep taproot and ability to persist in low-fertility soils. It is used as an ornamental. The presence of alkaloids in the stems, leaves and pods limit it’s usefulness as forage. It is poisonous to most animals. It is an excellent pollinator species.
Lupinus latifolius is a species of lupine known by the common name broadleaf lupine. It is native to western North America from British Columbia to Baja California to New Mexico, where it is common and can be found in several types of habitat. There are several subtaxa, described as subspecies or varieties, some common and some rare. They vary in morphology. In general this plant is an erect perennial herb. It grows 30 centimeters to over two meters in height, in texture hairy to nearly hairless. Each palmate leaf is made up of several leaflets, those on larger plants up to 10 centimeters long. The inflorescence bears many flowers, sometimes in whorls. Each flower is one to two centimeters in length, purple to blue to white in color, the spot on its banner yellowish, pinkish, or white.