Thermopsis villosa – False-lupine

Bright yellow, classic pea-shaped flowers resemble those of Lupine, but this plant is placed by botanists in a different genus, earning it the common name False-lupine. The genus has many more representatives in our Western States where species usually go by the much nicer name Golden Banner. And this species sometimes goes by the name Blue Ridge Golden Banner as the plant primarily occurs in the Blue Ridge Mountains from Pennsylvania to Georgia. You may see the plants growing wild in our area, but the species is not native to New York – wild occurrences are garden escapees, for the plant has long been popular in gardens. The only drawback to the showy flowers is their fleeting bloom period.