Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to central Oregon, possibly east to adjacent Idaho.
Habitat: Shrub-steppe, grassland, and open ponderosa pine forests.
Flowers: April-June
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Bumblebees, bees, flies, butterflies, beetles, wasps
Robust perennial herb with numerous stems from a branched root crown.
Alternate, palmately compound with 9-11 narrow variously pubescent leaflets.
Yellow or white, 9-12 mm long, pea-like.
Pea-like pods 2-3 cm long.
Compared to other Lupinus species, has fairly small flowers with the banner (upper petal) not much reflexed and either glabrous or only slightly pubescent. Also note the yellow to white flowers and palmately compound leaves with relatively narrow leaflets.
This is a difficult genus and the key in Hitchcock and Cronquist 1973 is out of date.
Publication: Fl. Bor.-Amer. (Hooker) 1(4): 166. 1832.
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var. bingenensis – Bingen lupine
Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; south-central British Columbia to north-central Oregon, east to Idaho. -
var. sulphureus – sulphur lupine From Okanogan County to Blue Mts, of southeastern Washington, and westward to the east end of the Columbia River Gorge in Washington; Washington to northeastern Oregon.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Lupinus sulphureus in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Lupinus sulphureus checklist entry
OregonFlora: Lupinus sulphureus information
E-Flora BC: Lupinus sulphureus atlas page
CalPhotos: Lupinus sulphureus photos
