Taxon Report

Lupinus ludovicianus Greene

San Luis Obispo County lupine

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Taxon Summary

Lupinus ludovicianus, commonly known as San Luis Obispo County lupine, is a perennial herb in the Fabaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, and Cismontane woodland, growing at elevations from 50 to 525 meters. Lupinus ludovicianus is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Lupinus ludovicianus Greene
Common Name:	San Luis Obispo County lupine
Family:	Fabaceae
Element Code:	PDFAB2B2G0
USDA Plants Symbol:	LULU
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Jul	Apr-Jul
Elevation:	50-525 (165-1725)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Cismontane woodland
Microhabitat:	Sandstone, Sandy
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G1
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_SBBG; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	16
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	3
Fair (C)	3
Poor (D)	1
None (X)	4
Unknown (U)	5

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Luis Obispo (SLO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Arroyo Grande NE (3512025)*, Caldwell Mesa (3512023), Lopez Mtn. (3512035), Nipomo (3512014), Pismo Beach (3512026), Pozo Summit (3512033), Santa Margarita Lake (3512034), Tar Spring Ridge (3512024)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	6
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	13	81 %
Grazing	11	68%
Agriculture	4	25%
Development	3	18%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	6%
ORV activity	1	6%
Road/trail construction/maint.	1	6%

Notes



Known from fewer than twenty occurrences. Threatened by agriculture, development, vehicles, grazing and trampling. Official flower of SLO Co. See Bulletin of the California Academy of Sciences 1:184 (1885) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 30 October 2025].