# Silky Lupine (*Lupinus sericeus*) Silky Lupine is a beautiful flower with soft, silky leaves and colorful blooms. It grows in sunny places and attracts butterflies and bees, making it a happy spot in nature! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Silky Lupine](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Lupinus_sericeus.jpg&width=800) Photo: Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lupinus_sericeus.jpg) ## Appearance The Silky Lupine has tall, dense spikes of pea-like flowers, often vibrant purple, blue, or sometimes white. Its distinctive leaves are covered in fine, silvery hairs, giving the plant a soft, fuzzy, and silvery-green appearance. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Fabales - **Family:** Fabaceae - **Genus:** Lupinus ## Interesting facts - Its seeds can stay dormant underground for decades, patiently waiting for the right conditions to sprout! - Many Native American tribes used parts of the Silky Lupine for various traditional purposes. - Silky Lupine flowers are like a special landing strip, guiding bees to their sweet, nutritious nectar! - This plant's super deep roots help it survive long droughts by finding water far underground! ## Special abilities - **Nitrogen Ninja:** Silky Lupine can enrich the soil with nitrogen, acting like a natural fertilizer, which helps other plants grow too. - **Thirsty Survivor:** Silky Lupine has fuzzy leaves that trap moisture and a deep taproot, helping it survive in dry, sunny environments. - **Toxic Shield:** Silky Lupine produces bitter, toxic chemicals, especially in its seeds, deterring many hungry animals from eating them. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-75 cm - **Spread:** 15-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-1.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to mid-summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Moderate - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects nectar and pollen from its flowers. - **Pollinates:** [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) — Visits flowers for nectar and helps spread pollen. - **Symbiotic with:** Rhizobium Bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — Forms root nodules to fix nitrogen for the plant. - **Eats:** [Deer Mouse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/deer-mouse) (*Peromyscus maniculatus*) — May consume seeds, despite their toxicity to some. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Nitrogen Fixing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nitrogen-fixing): Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [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. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Do not eat any flowers or plants without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Silky 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 Silky Lupine? 30-75 cm ### How wide does Silky Lupine spread? 15-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on Silky Lupine? 1-1.5 cm ### When does Silky Lupine bloom? Late spring to mid-summer ### Is Silky Lupine edible? No ### Is Silky Lupine toxic? Moderate ### What is Silky Lupine's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Nine Mile Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/nine-mile-dam) — Washington, US · Historic Site - [Johnstone Creek Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/johnstone-creek-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park - [Stemwinder Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/stemwinder-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park [View all places to see Silky Lupine](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/silky-lupine) ## 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*) --- Source: [Silky Lupine: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/silky-lupine)