Flower profile

Lupine (large-leaved lupine)

Lupinus polyphyllus

Lupine (large-leaved lupine) (Lupinus polyphyllus) is a flowering plant in the Fabaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–July across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Lupine (large-leaved lupine) is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.

17states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

6,987U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Maine, New Hampshire

Quick look

Lupinus polyphyllus, the large-leaved lupine, big-leaved lupine, many-leaved lupine, blue-pod lupine, or, primarily in cultivation, garden lupin, is a species of lupine (lupin) native to western North America from southern Alaska and British Columbia and western Wyoming, and south to Utah and California. It commonly grows along streams and creeks, preferring moist habitats.
From Wikipedia's article Lupinus polyphyllus, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Fabaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 17 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to New Hampshire. ^NatureServe
NatureServe lists it as not native to Maine. ^NatureServe
In Maine, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. ^iNaturalist
In New Hampshire, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,445 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #42 among the 160 flowers on our Maine list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 502 research-grade sightings of it in New Hampshire, ranking #73 among the 157 flowers on our New Hampshire list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (761 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Maine	Introduced	June–July	1,445
New Hampshire	Native	May–June	502

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. ^{NH Ncr 312}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records lupine (large-leaved lupine) in 17 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, California, Connecticut, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin.

Maine counties with USDA records: Hancock, Knox, Penobscot, Waldo, York.

New Hampshire counties with USDA records: Cheshire, Coos.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Alaska: Probably introduced; Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 149 counties across 13 states; the most are in California (37), Oregon (31), Washington (23).

Other Lupinus on Bloomipedia (5): Lupines, Texas bluebonnet, Sundial lupine, Coulter's lupine, Nootka lupine.

More from the Fabaceae family (114 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): White clover, Red clover, Eastern redbud, Purple crownvetch, Bird's-foot trefoil, Partridge pea, White sweetclover, Common vetch.

More Maine flowers

Red clover

Trifolium pratense

★ VT state flowerIntroduced

🌼 Blooms in ME: June–October

Seaside pea

Lathyrus japonicus

Native

🌼 Blooms in ME: May–July

Rabbitfoot clover

Trifolium arvense

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in ME: July–September

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LUPO2.
iNaturalist, Lupinus polyphyllus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Lupinus polyphyllus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
New Hampshire: New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020).
New Hampshire: NH Prohibited Invasive Species List (Agr 3800, Table 3800.1).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Lupinus polyphyllus (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Cam Fox via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.