# 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. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Silver Bush Lupine](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Lupinus_albifrons.jpg&width=800) Photo: Eric in SF, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lupinus_albifrons.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Fabales - **Family:** Fabaceae - **Genus:** Lupinus ## 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 - **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. - **Drought Defender:** Silver Bush Lupine has fuzzy, silvery leaves that reflect sunlight and trap moisture, helping it survive long, dry periods without much water. - **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](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. - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. - [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 Always look but don't touch plants without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Silver Bush 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 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 ## Where to spot - [Lake Oroville State Recreation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lake-oroville-state-recreation-area) — California, US · State Park - [Knights Ferry](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/knights-ferry) — California, US · Historic Site - [Los Trancos Open Space Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/los-trancos-open-space-preserve) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Venice Canal Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/venice-canal-historic-district) — California, US · Historic District - [Shambala Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shambala-preserve) — California, US · Zoo - [Milagra Ridge](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/milagra-ridge) — California, US · Park [View all places to see Silver Bush Lupine](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/silver-bush-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: [Silver Bush Lupine: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/silver-bush-lupine)