Lupinus perennis ssp. gracilis (Wild lupine)

Lupinus perennis ssp. gracilis

Wild lupine, Indian beet, old maid’s bonnets, blue lupine, sundial, lupine

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Fabales	Legumes (pea and bean families)
Family	Fabaceae	Legume family (peas and beans)
Genus	Lupinus	“Wolf,” because of the mistaken belief that lupines ravage land they grow on; in fact, they contribute nutrients
Species	perennis
ssp.	gracilis

About plant names...

Wild lupines are natives of eastern North America.

Plants: 8-24" (20-60 cm) tall, with light green or reddish green stems.

Leaves: Palmate, with circular rosettes containing 7-11 leaflets. Leaflets may be pointed or rounded, are ½-2" (1.5-6 cm) long, and are smooth and medium green on top, and pale green and somewhat hairy below.

Flowers: Flower spikes are 4-10" (10-25 cm) long, and are blue, or sometimes pink or white.

Fruits: Yellow-grayish-brown pods like fuzzy pea pods, 1-1¾" (3-5 cm) long, with 5-7 seeds each.

Online References:

Lupinus perennis ssp. gracilis on the USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database

Lupinus perennis ssp. gracilis at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Lupinus perennis ssp. gracilis on the Connecticut Botanical Society's Connecticut wildflowers site

Lupinus perennis ssp. gracilis at Illinois Wildflowers

Lupinus perennis ssp. gracilis on the Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide

Lupinus perennis ssp. gracilis at Minnesota Wildflowers

Lupinus perennis ssp. gracilis on

5/6/2016 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Groton, Massachusetts

4/25/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 18 × 13" (46 × 33 cm) ID is uncertain

Probably a cultivar. · 5/27/2016 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts
≈ 21 × 14" (52 × 34 cm)

6/9/2016 · Monhegan Island, Maine

6/9/2016 · Monhegan Island, Maine
≈ 19 × 29" (48 × 73 cm)

5/6/2016 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Groton, Massachusetts

7/17/2019 · Oceanview, Falmouth, Maine
≈ 5 × 4" (12 × 10.0 cm)

1/19/2021 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts

8/6/2014 · Shieling Forest, Peterborough, New Hampshire
≈ 8 × 5" (20 × 13 cm)

7/14/2012 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine
≈ 5 × 8" (13 × 19 cm) ID is uncertain

Lupinus perennis

Lupinus perennis L.

Lupinus gracilis Nutt. non J. Agardh

Lupinus nuttallii S. Watson

Lupinus perennis L. var. gracilis (Nutt.) Chapm.

Lupinus perennis ssp. gracilis description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 23 Aug 2021.

7/22/2021 · Mitchell Field, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 6 × 9" (15 × 23 cm)

7/14/2012 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine
≈ 4½ × 6" (11 × 16 cm) ID is uncertain

7/14/2012 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine
≈ 6 × 8" (14 × 19 cm) ID is uncertain

5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 11" (18 × 27 cm) ID is uncertain

Probably a cultivar. · 5/27/2016 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts

6/9/2016 · Monhegan Island, Maine

7/14/2012 · Gordon and Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine
≈ 6 × 9" (14 × 22 cm) ID is uncertain

4/27/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 16 × 10" (40 × 26 cm) ID is uncertain

Probably a cultivar. · 5/27/2016 · Acton Arboretum, Acton, Massachusetts
≈ 8 × 12" (20 × 31 cm)

7/17/2019 · Oceanview, Falmouth, Maine
≈ 6 × 4" (14 × 10.0 cm)

Range:

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