06/16/2026
Large-leaf lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus), also known as big-leaf lupine or garden lupin, is a robust perennial herbaceous plant native to western North America. Famous for its dramatic, star-shaped palmate leaves and towering spires of pea-like flowers.
The genus Lupinus stems from the Latin word ‘lupus,’ meaning ‘wolf.’ It was mistakenly thought that these plants wolfed down or robbed the soil of its nutrients. Wild lupine is actually a nitrogen-fixating plant, meaning it enhances soil fertility by fixing nitrogen from the air into a useful form that can be absorbed by organisms.
Source: https://www.fws.gov/story/lupine-season