Sicklekeel Lupine

Scientific Name: Lupinus albicaulis Douglas

Sicklekeel Lupine

General Information
Usda Symbol	LUAL3
Group	Dicot
Life Cycle	Annual
Growth Habits	Forb/herb
Native Locations	LUAL3

Plant Guide

Use soil moisture sensors to measure the soil moisture of Sicklekeel Lupine.

Fact Sheet

Alternate Names

sickle-keeled lupine , Use soil moisture sensors to measure the soil moisture of Sicklekeel Lupine.

Uses

Wildlife: Several species of birds use the seed for food and the stemmy growth for cover. Rabbits and other small game also use this plant for cover. Crops: For nitrogen fixation, pine lupine can be seeded as a winter green manure cover crop or used in reforestation projects. Species toxicity to livestock and wildlife is not known; however the cultivar ‘Hederma’ did not produce toxic symptoms in sheep or calves in a feeding trial. Erosion control: Because of pine lupine’s rapid growth, it can be used on critical erosion sites, including droughty, steep, low fertility slopes. Recreation and beautification: The plant’s showy floral display and pleasant scent makes it appropriate for landscape uses around residential areas and within parks where a tall, short-lived wildflower is desired.

Status

Please consult the PLANTS Web site and your State Department of Natural Resources for this plant’s current status (e.g. threatened or endangered species, state noxious status, and wetland indicator values).

Description

Lupinus albicaulis Dougl. ex Hook., pine lupine, is a native, rapid-developing, deep tap-rooted, multi-stemmed, erect forb, 2½ to 5 feet tall. The plant may be an annual, biennial, or short-lived perennial in various parts of its range. In Oregon, its habit is like a subshrub. The leaves are alternate, palmately compound, with 5 to 9 leaflets that average 1½ inches long. Attractive purple to white banner-type flowers appear in late May and last for about 3 weeks. The seeds are compressed, brown to black in color and mottled with gray. There can be 11,000 to 29,000 seeds per pound.

Adaptation and Distribution

Distribution

Distribution

Pine lupine is adapted to dry slopes and openings of western Oregon, Washington, Nevada, and northern California at all elevations below 8,000 feet with a precipitation range of 25 to 80 inches. Persistence is best on disturbed or seasonally changing sites such as sand dunes or dredge spoils where competition is reduced. Best growth and development are achieved when the plant is grown in full sun. It is an excellent pioneer species. USDA NRCS Corvallis Plant Materials Center Corvallis, Oregon For a current distribution map, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Website.

Establishment

Pine lupine can be seeded either in early fall or in the spring at 4 to 20 pounds per acre, depending on the site and seed mixture desired, and at a depth of ½ to ¾ inch. Strips for landscaping or wildlife use can be broadcast seeded at about 20 pounds per acre. For all conservation uses pine lupine can be seeded alone at about 10 pounds per acre, or with companion grass-legume mixtures, or into existing grass stands at 4 to 15 pounds per acre, depending upon need.

Management

Because of its rapid growth, pine lupine shades out a majority of weeds and lessens the need for intense weed control after establishment. For seed production, pine lupine can be produced on most well-drained tillable soils. Fields planted in late summer or early fall at 10 pounds per acre in 24 inch rows produce an excellent seed crop the following year. When harvested, it acts as a biennial and only produces 1 crop of seed. Because of seed shatter, the seed crop should be windrowed several days before harvest and rolled on tarps to dry. Plant material has also been successfully windrowed on 6 foot wide sheets of paper.

Plant Traits

Growth Requirements

Morphology/Physiology

Reproduction

Suitability/Use

Sicklekeel Lupine