Most lupines are blue, but other colors are represented too. There are white lupines, and the colorful Harlequin Lupine blooms in yellow and red. These flowers dominate our spring landscapes as much as do California Poppies. Lupines belong to the Leguminoseae or the Pea Family. Note that the seeds are enclosed in a pod.
Lupines come in many sizes too.
Bush Lupines are found on the Central Coast. Blue bush Lupines in Santa Maria bloom in March. Yellow bush Lupines in Nipomo wait until April. Owl's Clover or Orthocarpus belongs to the Figwort Family, the Scrophulariaceae . It's related to the Snapdragon.