Silver bush lupine is a perennial shrub native to coastal and central California with striking silver foliage. It grows 3-5 feet tall and wide, with palmate leaves covered in soft, silvery hairs. In spring it produces clusters of fragrant blue to purple flowers that attract pollinators like bees and hummingbirds. As a low-water plant well-suited for sunny, well-draining soils, it is a good choice for native plant gardens and low-maintenance areas.

1. Silver Bush Lupine – Lupinus albifrons (var. albifrons) (loo-PINE-us AL-bee-frons)
Family: Fabaceae (Pea Family)
Native to: Coastal and central CA and N. Channel Islands; dry open meadows, prairies, and forest
openings in coastal sage scrub, chaparral, oak woodlands.
Growth characteristics: perennial shrub mature height: 3-5 ft. mature width: 4-5 ft.
Mounded shrub with striking silver foliage. Leaves, which are palmate (like a hand) are covered with
soft, silvery hairs. Plant has a neat, fine-textured appearance. Drought-deciduous. May be short-lived in
the garden setting – but can propagate from seed.
Blooms/fruits: Blooms in spring, anytime from Mar-June depending on the rains. Flowers are clustered
on stalks above the foliage – typical for lupines. Flower color is an iridescent blue to purple. Flowers are
sweetly fragrant.
Uses in the garden: Makes a wonderful specimen plant for it’s flowers and foliage. Looks particularly nice
combined with native grasses, annual wildflowers and yellow-flowered coastal plants such as Dune
Wallflower, Coastal CA Poppy, plants in the Sunflower family. Does fine in sunny areas under oaks. Fine
fore low maintenance areas along roads, parking strips. Plant where you can enjoy the floral scent and
the visits of pollinators.
Sensible substitute for: Non-native lupines (e.g. Russell Lupine).
Attracts: Excellent Dove habitat: provides cover and seeds for food. Pollinators are large bees,
hummingbirds. Larval food plant for Blue butterflies.
Requirements:
Element Requirement
Sun Full sun.
Soil Well-drained soils; any local pH.
Water Little to no water once established (Zone 1 or 1-2; possibly Zone 2 in sandy soils)
Fertilizer None; can kill with fertilizer. Plant roots fix nitrogen.
Other
Management: Little management required as long as plant is watered correctly. Plants are susceptible
to slugs, snails and caterpillars, all of which can kill the plant. Deer, rabbits will eat.
Propagation: from seed: hot water soak by cuttings: probably
Plant/seed sources (see list for source numbers): 1, 3, 7, 8-11, 13, 16, 19, 28 12/7/10
© Project SOUND

2. Lupinus albifrons
Silver bush lupine