Oak Ridge lupine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lupinus diffusus |
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Platycarpos (Wats.) Kurl.
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L. diffusus
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| Lupinus diffusus Nutt.
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The Spreading Lupine (also known as Oak Ridge lupine or sky-blue lupine) is a beautiful wild plant. It's a type of lupine, which is a group of flowering plants. You can find it growing naturally in the southeastern United States. This includes states like North Carolina, Florida, and Mississippi. It loves to grow in very dry, sandy places. Often, you'll spot it in sunny areas like open pine or oak forests.
About the Spreading Lupine
What the Spreading Lupine Looks Like
The Spreading Lupine is a perennial plant. This means it lives for more than two years, coming back each spring. It's also an herbaceous plant, which means it has soft stems, not woody ones like a tree. This plant usually grows to be about 30 to 50 centimeters (about 1 to 1.5 feet) tall.
Its leaves are very interesting. They are shaped like a hand with fingers spreading out, which is called "palmately compound." Each leaf has 3 to 5 smaller parts called leaflets. These leaflets are about 6 to 12 centimeters long and 3 to 5 centimeters wide. They have a pretty gray-green or silvery-green color and are covered with tiny, soft white hairs.
The flowers of the Spreading Lupine are pale blue or violet. They grow in a tall, dense spike that can be 15 to 30 centimeters (about 6 to 12 inches) long. These lovely flowers usually appear in early spring.
Growing Spreading Lupine in Your Garden
People sometimes grow the Spreading Lupine in their gardens. It makes a great ornamental plant because of its pretty flowers and unique silvery leaves. It's a good choice for gardens that have dry, sandy soil, as this is what the plant naturally prefers.
