Lupinus albus

Fabaceae. Annual or biennial depending on conditions, native to the eastern Mediterranean basin, from Greece and the Balkans to Asia Minor, but naturalized or subspontaneous in much of the western Mediterranean basin, including the Iberian Peninsula. It grows in open garrigues, dry wastelands, cultivated fields, and roadsides on poor, well-drained soils, often sandy or stony.

The plant is erect, sparsely branched, generally reaching 40 to 80 cm in height. The leaves are palmate, with 5 to 9 oblong leaflets, of a medium green slightly glaucous, with a lighter and silky underside. The general appearance is that of a slender and sober lupin, without the massive vigor of modern horticultural hybrids.

The flowers, arranged in a loose terminal spike, are cream white to slightly pinkish white, with sometimes a more pronounced tint on the standard as it ages. In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from April to June.

Cultivated since antiquity throughout the Mediterranean basin, this species is one of the oldest known cultivated plants: its seeds, rich in proteins, were consumed after prolonged desalting to remove bitter alkaloids. It is still used today as fodder and green manure, fixing atmospheric nitrogen through its root nodules. In gardens, it is suitable for naturalistic compositions on draining and poor soil, in full sun.