Plant Details

Pigmy-leaved Lupine

Lupinus bicolor

Also called: Bicolor Lupine | Lindley's Lupine | Miniature Lupine

This charming little California native is a must-have for any wildflower meadow or rock garden. It features dainty, palm-shaped leaves and produces spikes of miniature pea-like flowers in a beautiful mix of blue and white. It's a tough, low-maintenance annual that provides a vital early-season food source for our buzzing bee friends.

Flowering Container friendly Heat tolerant Cold tolerant California native Bee friendly Butterfly friendly Deer resistant Clay tolerant Beginner friendly Drought tolerant Likely to reseed

No image available

Plant Snapshot

TypeFlower | Herbaceous | Annual | Deciduous

Growth habitMounding | Upright

Use categoriesOrnamental | Pollinator Plant

SettingOutdoor

Growth rateFast

Mature size classSmall

Bloom colorBlue, White

Bloom seasonSpring

HardinessZones 7a-10b

Size4-16 in tall | 4-8 in wide

Life expectancy1 year

Size noteUsually stays quite compact, often reaching only about 8-10 inches in most garden settings.

Spacing6-12 in apart

Spacing noteSpace plants closer together for a carpet-like effect in meadow plantings.

Growth Conditions

LightFull Sun

WaterLow

SoilLean | Loamy | Rocky | Sandy

DrainageWell-Drained

Leaf notesBright green to silvery-green due to fine, silky hairs on the leaflets.

Pruning noteNo pruning required. Allow the plant to set seed if you want it to return the following year.

Feeding noteAs a nitrogen-fixing legume, it generally does not require supplemental fertilizer and thrives in poor soils.

Propagation noteEasily grown from seed sown directly in the garden in fall or early spring. Scarification of the hard seed coat can improve germination rates.

Seasonal Timing

Best planting window

Fall

Best time to sow seeds in Mediterranean climates for spring blooms.

Bloom timing

Spring

Peak flowering occurs from March through June.

Seasonal rest

Summer

Plants naturally die back after setting seed in the heat of summer.

Cautions

Pests

Aphids

Can occasionally cluster on new growth or flower spikes.

Slugs and Snails

May target young seedlings in damp spring weather.

Pet safetyToxic to livestock if ingested in large quantities; use caution with pets.

Allergy notePollen may be an irritant for some individuals.

Health noteContains alkaloids which can be toxic if ingested.

Sources

Calscape - California Native Plant Society
Excellent resource for California native distribution and gardening needs.
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Detailed plant profile and characteristics.

Places that sell it

Larner Seeds
Specializes in California native wildflower seeds.
The Theodore Payne Foundation
A great source for native seeds and plants in Southern California.

Back to catalog