Highlights
This is a beautiful native plant for Pacific Northwest gardens. Bigleaf Lupines are native to the western side of the United States—California, mostly. They are now found in places you’d never expect, including Maine and Acadia National Park! If you live in the Pacific Northwest, plant away. If you live in the Northeast, do you best to plant Sundial Lupines, which are the Northeast version. Scroll on for more info and learn how this plant escaped from the West Coast.
Dig Deeper
Explore the history, types, and where to plant native Bigleaf Lupine
Table of Contents
Bigleaf Lupines are one of 250+ species of lupine found globally. They are also one of the many lupines native to North America; visit our Beginner’s Guide to Native Lupines to learn about other species, colors, and types.
Bigleaf Lupines are beautiful native plants
Native plants have grown in an area for thousands of years, through every storm, weather event, drought, and heat spell. They know the weather and soil of their home area better than any other plants on earth.
Native plants are important and easy choices for our gardens. Planting native has many benefits, including:
- Wildlife support: native lupines help feed hummingbirds and other pollinators when in bloom
- Fuss-free gardening: native plants plant themselves, with no human intervention. Use this to your benefit! After the first year of getting established, native plants require minimal care.
- Native plants are gorgeous. Visit our native plant library to meet 100+ other options for your garden!
Sometimes finding the native plants we love can be a challenge. We’re here to make this part a little simpler. Here are four ways to find native Biglead Lupine seeds and plants:
Where can I find seeds and plants?
Finding native plants can be challenging (we partly blame Marie Antoinette.) To make it easier, we’ve assembled four sourcing ideas.
Native Plant Nurseries
Our list of native nurseries makes finding one a breeze
Online Native Plant Sellers
We've included 100+ online resources to help
Society Plant Sales
Every state has a native plant society; find yours
Online Communities
Local Facebook groups are a great plant source
Warning: in some East Coast states, Bigleaf Lupine can be considered invasive
According to the USDA, “In the East, subspecies polyphyllus is considered invasive and has spread across the Great Lakes states, into the northeastern coastal states, and eastern Canada.”
Where is Bigleaf Lupine native?
Bigleaf Lupine grows naturally on the west coast of North America. According to the USDA, Bigleafs are native “from British Columbia and Alberta south to California and east to Montana, Idaho and Nevada.”
What are good pairings for Bigleaf Lupines?
Plant Bigleafs alongside other native plants that thrive in Northwestern and California gardens. Some stellar choices include:
And that sums up our love letter to Bigleaf Lupines! These gorgeous native flowers have crept across the United States, but are best suited for their native Northwestern home. They are easy to plant, come back year-after-year, and offer carefree beauty that lawns and non-native plants can’t come close to. Also—pollinators love them! Make sure to plant them a little back in your garden, so that they can reach their tall, sculptural glory. Don’t forget to read our Beginner’s Guide to Native Lupines to learn about other species, colors, and types. Happy planting!
Sources
- USDA Plant Guide, Bigleaf Lupine (PDF).
- USDA Plants Database, Bigleaf Lupine