This is but one of many species of lupine, both annual and perennial,
common throughout the West at nearly all elevations. Perhaps the most
publicized is the “Texas” lupine, or “bluebonnet,” hailed by Texans as
their State flower. Desert species are early bloomers, sometimes
appearing in protected sandy soils and on highway shoulders in January.
In favorable seasons masses of these handsome blue to violet blossoms
color desert hillsides with acres of fragrant bloom. Sometimes growing
in pure stands, often mixed with a variety of other spring flowers,
lupines may usually be found blossoming as late as June.
_Lupinus sparsiflorus_ Pea Family
[Illustration: LUPINE]