Silver Bush Lupine
ExplorePlants
Silver Bush Lupine
Lupinus albifrons
The Silver Bush Lupine is a lovely plant with silvery leaves and beautiful purple flowers. It grows in sunny places and helps make the environment better for other plants and animals.
Habitat: Grasslands
Appearance
The Silver Bush Lupine is a sturdy, shrub-like plant covered in dense, silvery-white hairs. It has distinctive palm-shaped leaves and produces tall, striking spikes of tightly packed, pea-like flowers, which range in color from purplish-blue to white.
KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderFabalesFamilyFabaceaeGenusLupinus
Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
5
Interesting facts
Ancient Romans used lupines as a medicinal plant and even a type of food!
Indigenous peoples once used tough lupine fibers to weave strong ropes and baskets!
Lupine seeds burst from their pods, sometimes flinging them far away!
Some people call it 'Old Man Lupine' because of its silvery, wise appearance!
Special abilities
Ability
Nitrogen Factory
Silver Bush Lupine can turn nitrogen from the air into plant food, thanks to tiny helper bacteria in its roots, which helps it grow in poor soil.
Ability
Drought Defender
Silver Bush Lupine has fuzzy, silvery leaves that reflect sunlight and trap moisture, helping it survive long, dry periods without much water.
Ability
Chemical Shield
Silver Bush Lupine has special chemicals called alkaloids in its leaves and seeds that make it taste bad or be mildly toxic to hungry animals.
Measurements & details
- Height
- 50-150 cm
- Spread
- 50-100 cm
- Flower Size
- 1-2 cm
- Bloom Season
- Spring to early summer
- Edible
- No
- Toxicity
- Moderate
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Pollination Method
- Insect
Ecological connections
pollinates
Yellow-faced Bumblebee
Bombus vosnesenskii
Buzzes between flowers, collecting nectar
symbiotic with
Lupine Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria
Bradyrhizobium lupini
Lives in roots, helps plant get nitrogen
eaten by
Broom Hairstreak
Callophrys dumetorum
Larvae feed on leaves and flowers
Traits
Flowering
Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
Nitrogen Fixing
Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants.
Ornamental
Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
Shrub
A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.
Drought Tolerant
Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability.
Grassland
Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
Pollinator Magnet
Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
Also known as
No aliases listed yet.
Collections
Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Always look but don't touch plants without asking an adult first.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to identify Silver Bush Lupine?
The easiest way to identify Silver Bush Lupine is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.
How tall is Silver Bush Lupine?
50-150 cm
How wide does Silver Bush Lupine spread?
50-100 cm
How big are the flowers on Silver Bush Lupine?
1-2 cm
When does Silver Bush Lupine bloom?
Spring to early summer
Is Silver Bush Lupine edible?
No
Is Silver Bush Lupine toxic?
Moderate
What is Silver Bush Lupine's lifecycle?
Perennial
Snap Map
Zoom in to split clusters and explore where this object has been snapped.
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Recent Snaps
Jun 6, 2026
Venice Canal Historic Districti
Photo attribution
(c) Roberto Daniel Avila, some rights reserved (CC BY)
License: CC BY 4.0 ↗
Image may be shown cropped inside the card frame.
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