Bigleaf Lupine - Lupinus polyphyllus
Beautiful purple flowers are arranged on a spike-like raceme. The individual flowers are small and pea-shaped. The leaves are palmately compound. The plant may grow to 1.5 meters tall.
Large-leaved Lupine is native to the western United States and has become quite invasive in the northeast. Numerous garden varieties exist, and can easily escape from cultivation. It has also been intentionally introduced in some areas. It is also classified as an invasive species in Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Finland, Lithuania, New Zealand, and Ukraine.
Habitat: Growing wild and cultivated; this cluster was growing wild along the coast
"Lupinus polyphyllus" is a species of lupine native to western North America from southern Alaska and British Columbia east to Alberta and western Wyoming, and south to Utah and California. It commonly grows along streams and creeks, preferring moist habitats.
