Plant Data
Sheet
Photo courtesy PlantExplorers.com
Species (common
name, Latin name)- seashore lupine, Lupinus littoralis
Range
Seashore
lupine occurs along the immediate coast and has a range that stretches from
Climate,
elevation
Generally
found at low elevations below 500 ft in areas with strong maritime influence.
Local
occurrence
Locally,
seashore lupine is an infrequent occupant along the coast. It can be found in the coastal portions of Pacific,
Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Calallam,
Habitat
preferences
Seashore
Lupine prefers coastal beaches and dunes
Plant
strategy type/successional stage (stress-tolerator, competitor,
weedy/colonizer, seral,
late successional)
L. littoralis is an early seral colonizer of beaches and sand dunes. It can tolerate the harsh sand blasts and
salt spray characteristic of this environment.
Associated
species
Seashore
lupine can be found growing in conjunction with other beach colonizers such as Carex macrocephala, Poa macrantha, Glehnia leicarpa, and Polygonum paronychia.
May be
collected as
Seed
Collection
restrictions or guidelines
As
with most lupines, seed collection should be carried out between July and
August when the pods mature but before they shatter. Pods are mature when they turn a tan brown. Pods can also be collected slightly early if
left attached to a portion of the stem and kept in a paper bag to mature.
Seed
germination
Seeds
have a hard but brittle seed coat that requires some scarification to produce
abundant germination. Mechanical
scarification can be done but should be done lightly as the seeds are easily
crushed in grinders or other devices. A
hot water bath is very effective and can be done by heating a pot of water to
boiling then removing from heat. Seeds
can then be added to the water and left till cool.
Seed life
Seeds
can be stored. Data on length of
appropriate storage unavailable for this specific species. Other native lupine seeds can be stored for
20-60 years once cleaned and dried.
Recommended
seed storage conditions
Lupine
seeds generally have a higher moisture content and should be stored at 40
degrees Fahrenheit and 40% relative humidity.
Cleaned and dried seeds should be refrigerated and stored in airtight
containers.
Propagation
recommendations
Seed.
Soil or
medium requirements (inoculum necessary?)
Seashore lupine prefers moist but well drained sandy soils and will generally grow well in full sun. Inoculation with Rhizobium specific to Lupinus spp. can aid overall success particularly when working with a sterile planting soil.
Installation
form
Does
not transplant well, seeds should be used.
Seeds can be collected but are also commercially available.
Recommended
planting density
No data found
Care
requirements after installed (water weekly, water once etc.)
No
Data found
Normal rate
of growth or spread; lifespan
No
Data found
Sources
cited
Hitchcock, C. L. and A. Cronquist.
1973. Flora of the
manual.
Collecting, Processing and Germinating Seeds of Wildland
Plants. Young and Young. Timber Press. 1986.
Kulmer,
M.L. 1969. Plant Succession on the Sand Dunes of the
Ecology, Vol. 50, No. 4. pp. 695-704.
Skinner,
David M. 2003. Propagation protocol for production of
container Lupinus sericeus
Dougl.
ex Lindl. plants;
Morris, Rich. “Lupinus
littoralis -
http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Lupinus+littoralis (accessed 12 April 2006)
Compiled by: Phillip Chi 4/13/2006