Butter Lupine

Butter lupine is an annual herbaceous wildflower, reaching between 1.5-3 feet tall. Space 2-3 feet apart. Native to the coastal mountain ranges of OR and CA, extending as far south as the Transverse Ranges. Grows in openings in woodland habitats and disturbed areas or clearings.

Upright form, with soft green foliage and spikes of springtime pale yellow flowers that fade to pale blue or grey. Very adaptable to different soil types, Butter lupine is a great habitat plant to add to a container, grassland, or woodland edge. Loved by bees and host to over forty species of butterflies and moths, including the Acmon Blue and Painted Lady. Protect tender foliage from snails, slugs, and birds, and they should reseed well.

Lifeform: Annual

Sun: Full Sun

Water: Light, Moderate

Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand

Other: Attracts Bees, Attracts Birds, Attracts Butterflies

Ecological Value	Likely host to 48 species of butterflies and moths, including Gray Hairstreak, Acmon Blue, Painted Lady.
Ethnobotanical Uses	Plant tops eaten as greens by Mendocino, and used as forage for horses (sparingly). Flowers were used in wreaths for ceremonial spring dances by Pomo and Kashaya peoples.
Distribution	Coastal mountain ranges of Oregon and California, extending as far south as the Transverse Ranges.
Elevation	56" – 6541"
Habitat	Dry slopes, disturbed areas
Communities	Foothill Woodland, Northern Oak Woodland, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland, Valley Grassland, Yellow Pine Forest