Lupinus sparsiflorus (lupine) ( )

This annual lupine species has violet-blue, pea-like blooms with yellow spots on one petal that turns purplish-red when the flower is manipulated by bees. Lupines have finger-like leaflets which tilt to track the sun at a direct angle, thereby gaining additional solar radiation during the winter when such energy is at a premium. Some years, lupine begins to flower in January. Attractive to bumble bees and digger bees, these flowers peak in color and fragrance from mid-March through mid-April, on alluvial fans, washes, and canyons below 2,300 feet. "Arizona Highways Presents Desert Wildflowers, 1988".