Silver Lupine

Silvery lupine (Lupinus argenteus) is a perennial forb or subshrub with erect stems and palmately divided, silvery-haired leaves. Its pea-shaped flowers are usually blue or violet, sometimes pink and rarely white, blooming from late spring into summer and drawing bees and butterflies. [Oregon State University Extension](https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/em-9486-lupinus-argenteus-silvery-lupine) [South Dakota State University](https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/nativeplant/326/) ## Form and Habitat The leaves typically have several narrow leaflets, and flowers are carried in upright spikes. Reported mature height varies: Oregon State describes stems 1–2 feet tall, while the South Dakota profile gives a broader 30–90 cm range. Across its western North American range, this lupine occurs in stream valleys as well as dry roadsides, rocky prairies, open woods and meadows. These habitat differences reflect a widespread species rather than a single garden size or site condition. ## Maintenance Use locally appropriate native-plant guidance when choosing exposure and irrigation; published habitats range from stream valleys to dry, rocky ground, so avoid assuming one water regime suits every regional population.