Sky-blue Lupine

Description:

It is a perennial herbaceous plant growing to 30-50 cm tall. The leaves are palmately compound with 3-5 leaflets 6-12 cm long and 3-5 cm broad, gray-green to silvery green, covered with fine white hairs. The flowers are pale blue or violet, produced in a dense spike 15-30 cm long.

Habitat:

Native to the southeastern United States, from North Carolina south to Florida and west to Mississippi. It is restricted to very dry, sandy soils, often in open pine or oak woodland, and is an endangered species. This one was photographed at the Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve near Windsor (Aiken County), SC.

Notes:

It's also called Oak Ridge Lupine or Spreading Lupine.