Sundial lupine raises showy spikes of blue-violet pea flowers above whorls of fingered, palm-shaped leaves in spring. A specialist of lean, sandy ground, it is both beautiful and ecologically important as the larval host for several uncommon butterflies.
Where it grows in North Carolina
Native to dry, sandy soils of the Sandhills and Coastal Plain — longleaf pine savannas, sandy clearings, and open woodland edges. It depends on the open, sunny conditions that fire historically maintained in these habitats.
Wildlife value
It is the host plant for the frosted elfin and other specialist butterflies, and its spring flowers are pollinated chiefly by bumblebees and other long-tongued native bees. As a legume it also enriches poor soils with nitrogen.
In the garden
Give it full sun and sharp, sandy drainage, and do not amend or overwater. Start with young nursery plants or sow seed in place — the deep root resents disturbance — and leave it undisturbed to settle in.