Peirson's lupine facts for kids

Lupinus peirsonii, also known as Peirson's lupine or long lupine, is a very special and rare type of lupine plant. It's like a unique treasure because it grows naturally in only one specific place in the world.

Peirson's Lupine: A Rare California Plant

This amazing plant is found only in the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County, California. When a plant or animal lives only in one specific area, we say it is endemic to that place. Peirson's lupine loves to grow in woodland and forest areas within these mountains.

What Does Peirson's Lupine Look Like?

Peirson's lupine is a plant that stands upright and has many branches. It's a perennial herb, which means it lives for more than two years and doesn't have a woody stem like a tree. It usually grows to be about 30 to 60 centimeters (about 1 to 2 feet) tall.

Its leaves are quite interesting! Each leaf looks like a hand with fingers spread out, which is called palmate. Each leaf has 5 to 8 smaller, thick leaflets, and these can be up to 7 centimeters (about 3 inches) long. The whole plant, especially its stems and leaves, is covered in soft, silvery, silky hairs. This gives it a unique look and feel.

Flowers and Fruits

The flowers of Peirson's lupine grow in a tall cluster called a raceme. Imagine a stalk with many flowers arranged around it in a spiral or whorl. These flowers are bright yellow and each one is about a centimeter (less than half an inch) long. They add a splash of color to the mountain landscape.

After the flowers bloom, the plant produces its fruit. The fruit is a legume pod, similar to a pea pod. These pods are also covered in silky hairs and are about 3 to 4 centimeters (about 1.5 inches) long. Inside these pods are the seeds that will grow into new Peirson's lupine plants.