# Dwarf Lupine (*lupinus lepidus*)

The Dwarf Lupine is a tiny, colorful flower that loves to bloom in sunny places! It's a great plant for butterflies and bees who come to visit it.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** It lives in rocky, sunny areas, often found in meadows and mountainous regions.
- **Also known as:** Lupinus, Mountain Lupine, Purple Lupine

![Dwarf Lupine](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Lupinus_lepidus_4695.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lupinus_lepidus_4695.JPG)

## Appearance

The Dwarf Lupine has dense, silvery-green, palm-shaped leaves covered in fine hairs, forming a compact mound. It sports striking, upright spikes of small, pea-like flowers, typically in shades of vibrant purple to blue, making it stand out in meadows.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Fabales
- **Family:** Fabaceae
- **Genus:** Lupinus

## Interesting facts

- Bumblebees love Dwarf Lupine! They are important pollinators, often seen buzzing around its purple flower spikes.
- Its name 'Lupinus' comes from 'lupus' (wolf), as people once thought it 'wolfed' nutrients from the soil!
- Native Americans historically used parts of lupine plants for dyes, medicine, and sometimes even food after careful processing.
- Wild Dwarf Lupine seeds can remain dormant for many years, waiting for just the right conditions to sprout!

## Special abilities

- **Soil Power-Up:** Dwarf Lupine can fix nitrogen from the air into the soil, acting like a natural fertilizer for other plants around it.
- **Fuzzy Shield:** Dwarf Lupine has tiny hairs on its leaves and stems that help it conserve water and protect itself from harsh sunlight.
- **Seed Shooters:** Dwarf Lupine seeds are held in pods that can burst open to fling seeds far away, helping new plants grow.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-40 cm
- **Spread:** 15-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Moderate
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** [Bumblebee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bumblebee) (*Bombus appositus*) — Transfers pollen between flowers
- **Symbiotic with:** Rhizobium bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — Helps fix nitrogen in soil
- **Eats:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — Browses on leaves and stems

## Traits

- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Dwarf Lupine?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Dwarf Lupine?

10-40 cm

### How wide does Dwarf Lupine spread?

15-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on Dwarf Lupine?

1-2 cm

### When does Dwarf Lupine bloom?

Late spring to summer

### Is Dwarf Lupine edible?

No

### Is Dwarf Lupine toxic?

Moderate

### What is Dwarf Lupine's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Nobles Emigrant Trail](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/nobles-emigrant-trail) — California, US · Trail
- [Cathedral Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cathedral-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Dwarf Lupine: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/dwarf-lupine)