18-24" tall. Sometimes called Wild Lupine, though this common name creates confusion with the ubiquitous western lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus), which can be invasive in some ecosystems. Sundial lupine is native throughout much of eastern North America, though it is now rare in New England and considered extirpated from Maine and Vermont.
In early summer, beautiful racemes of blue to violet-purple flowers rise above charming palmate foliage, similar to its western cousin, yet Sundial is a critical food source for a number of pollinator species important in the East. It is the sole larval host plant of the endangered karner blue butterfly, native to the Great Lakes, and also feeds clouded sulphur, gray hairstreak, and eastern-tailed blue butterflies, along with hummingbirds and native bee species. Many species that evolved to rely on this lupine cannot make use of L. polyphyllus. All lupines are beautiful, but if you live in the eastern U.S., plant this one to support plant and pollinator diversity.
Full sun to part shade. Prefers well-drained and sandy soils. Native to dry oak and pine ecosystems and sandy prairie areas. Zone 3.
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