Bluebonnet, Texas Lupine, Buffalo Clover, Wolf Flower
Family:
Fabaceae (Pea Family)
Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map
Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southern Texas Plains, Texas Blackland Prairies
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Plant Characteristics
Growth Form
Herbaceous
Height
1
to
3
ft.
Spread
1
to
3
ft.
Leaf Retention
Deciduous
Lifespan
Annual
Habitat and Care Requirements
Soil Type(s)
Loam, Clay, Limestone
Light Requirement
Sun
Water Requirement
Low
Native Habitat
Grassland
Bloom and Attraction
Bloom Color
Blue
Bloom Season
Spring
Seasonal Interest
Nectar, Larval Host
Wildlife Benefit
Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Bees
Maintenance
If planting this species in areas where it has not formerly grown, it may be helpful to inoculate the soil with a rhizobium (soil-borne bacteria which form nitrogen-rich root nodules) for lupines. Propagation: Seed.
Comments
Blooms March, April, May. State Flower of Texas. Blue Flowers. Forms attractive leaf rosettes in winter. Larval Host: Hairstreak and Elfin Butterfly, Sulphurs.
References
1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48, 53. 3) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 157-158. 4) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=26133#null, 5) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=11326&locationType=County&mapType=Normal, 6) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LUTE