Lupine Flowers Offer Vivid Color
If you’re looking for a showy summer-flowering perennial that will stand out from the crowd, lupine is a sure front-runner. The tall, lush spires of vividly colored flowers are like floral traffic cones, compelling you to slow down and take notice. In addition to their irresistible beauty, lupines are also valued for their ability to flourish in challenging environments, including sandy nutrient-poor soils, high elevations, and areas with cool summers.
Planting Lupine Flowers – How To Grow Lupines
Lupines (Lupinus spp.) are attractive and spiky, reaching 1 to 4 feet (30-120 cm.) in height and adding color and texture to the back of a flower bed. Lupine flowers may be annual and last only for a season, or perennial, returning for a few years in the same spot in which they were planted. The lupine plant grows from a long taproot and does not like to be moved.
Lupines grow wild in some areas of the United States, where they are hosts for the larvae of endangered species of butterflies. Wildflowers of the lupine plant generally come in in hues of blues and white, although domesticated lupines offer flowers in blues, yellows, pinks and purples. Tall, spiky racemes produce lupine flowers similar to those of the sweet pea plant.
How to Grow Lupines
Growing lupines is as simple as planting seeds or cuttings into a sunny area with well-drained soil. If planting lupine from seed, scratch the seed surface or soak seeds overnight in lukewarm water to allow the seed coat to be easily penetrated. Seeds of the lupine plant may also be chilled for a week in the refrigerator prior to planting.
This may also be accomplished by planting lupine seeds in the fall and letting Mother Nature do the chilling through the winter. Direct sowing of lupine seeds in autumn is perhaps the easiest method. Lupines produce seed which will re-produce more flowers the following year if not removed from the growing lupine.
Average soil is best for growing lupines. Utilize this trait and plant lupines in areas of the landscape that have not been composted or amended in other ways.
Getting More Lupine Flowers
To encourage blooms, fertilize lupines with a plant food that is high in phosphorus. Nitrogen rich fertilizer may encourage growth of the foliage and do little to promote flowering. Deadhead spent blooms for returning lupine flowers.
The lupine plant fixes nitrogen in the soil and is a great addition to your vegetable garden or any area where nitrogen loving plants will be grown. A member of the pea family, lupines are beneficial in many ways.
Now that you know how to grow lupines, add this tall, showy bloom to an area where lupine flowers will be visible and act as background for other full-sun blooms. A flowering ground cover planted beneath the lupine plant helps keep roots cool and will benefit from the nitrogen in the soil, creating a showy display in the landscape.
Lupine Flowers Offer Vivid Color
West Country™ ‘Masterpiece’ (Lupinus polyphyllus). Photo by: Proven Winners.
If you’re looking for a showy summer-flowering perennial that will stand out from the crowd, lupine is a sure front-runner. The tall, lush spires of vividly colored flowers are like floral traffic cones, compelling you to slow down and take notice. In addition to their irresistible beauty, lupines are also valued for their ability to flourish in challenging environments, including sandy nutrient-poor soils, high elevations, and areas with cool summers.
“Just being able to grow lupines would be reason enough to move to a cool-summer climate,” says Larry Hodgson, author of Perennials for Every Purpose . “Not only do lupines thrive, but they self-sow with a vengeance.” There are also many varieties that can be grown as annuals outside of their comfort zone.
On this page:
- BASICS
- TYPES OF LUPINE
- HOW TO PLANT LUPINE
- LUPINE CARE AND MAINTENANCE
- LUPINE PICTURES
- DESIGN IDEAS
LUPINE BASICS
Botanical name:
Plant type:
Annuals or short-lived perennials
Zones:
Typically 4-8; best treated as annuals in Zone 7 and above
Exposure:
Plant lupine in full sun in areas with cool summers, but give them filtered sunlight or afternoon shade in warmer or Southern climates.
Height:
1 to 5 feet tall
Bloom time:
Late spring to early or midsummer
Length of bloom:
Flower characteristics:
A member of the pea family, lupine flowers are similar to those of pea blossoms but are packed tightly together on conical spikes that stand tall and erect above palmate foliage. The blossoms open from the bottom up and often display more than one color on the same plant, in hues ranging from soft pastels to deep reds and violet blues. After the flowers fade, they are replaced by flat pea-shaped seedpods.
Pros:
- Attracts beneficial pollinators to the garden, including bumblebees, honeybees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
- Deer resistant.
- Easy to grow from seed and will readily self-sow, which often compensates for their short lifespan.
- Like other members of the pea family, lupine can improve soil fertility by fixing nitrogen in the air and making it usable by other plants.
Cons:
- All parts of the plant are toxic if ingested.
- Difficult if not impossible to transplant because of deep taproots that resent being disturbed once established.
- Often wither or are short-lived in areas with hot, humid summers.
TYPES OF LUPINE
Lupine hybrids:
Hybrid lupines are the most ornamental of the garden lupines and offer fuller flower spikes and a multitude of color options. Although most are hybrids of several species, they are often pigeonholed under L. polyphyllus.
Native lupines:
In addition to the hybrids, there are several lovely wildflower lupines that grow especially well in gardens in certain regions of the country, including wild perennial lupine (L. perennis), a native to the eastern United States; Texas bluebonnet (L. texensis); and golden lupine (L. densiflorus var. aureus), a California native. Once they settle into a hospitable environment, they will grow there indefinitely by self-sowing.
PLANTING LUPINE
Mini Gallery™ Blue Bicolor Lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus). Photo by: Proven Winners.
Lupines can be started from seed, dormant bare-root plants, or potted plants, but seeds are easier to find and offer the broadest selection of cultivars. Be careful when buying nursery-grown plants, as lupines have fast-growing taproots that can become constrained if the plants are kept in their containers too long.
Soil:
Lupines love loose, sandy soil because it doesn’t impede the growth of their deep tap roots. In denser clay soils, loosen the soil before planting by working in compost. Lupines also like slightly acidic conditions. If your soil is too alkaline, you can lower the pH by adding a soil acidifier (sulfur).
When to plant:
If planting lupine from seed, direct sow in the garden in late fall or early winter for blooms the following spring. You can also sow seeds in the spring 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date, but your plants will bloom later in the summer. Plant container-grown plants in the spring after the danger of frost has passed.
Planting from seed:
Lupine seeds have very tough outer shells that need to be softened up before sowing. You can do this by soaking the seeds in warm water for a few hours or by scarifying them with sandpaper or a small file to help them absorb water. (See Growing Perennials from Seed.) Sow seeds at a shallow depth of about ¼ inch under loose topsoil, and keep them evenly moist until they germinate. Seedlings will emerge 15 to 25 days after planting.
Planting from containers:
Potted lupine plants are typically perennial cultivars that you can put in the ground immediately in the spring. Space plants about 2 to 3 feet apart, and loosen the soil deeply to accommodate the long taproots. Amend the planting hole with organic matter, if necessary, to improve drainage.
LUPINE CARE
Watering:
After planting lupines, keep the soil evenly moist to ensure good root development. Once your plants are deeply rooted, they can tolerate drier conditions and will only need water during periods of drought. Applying a layer of mulch will help lock in soil moisture and keep the roots cool.
Fertilizing:
Because of lupine’s ability to absorb nitrogen directly from the atmosphere, they grow quite happily in nitrogen-poor soil without the need for additional fertilizer. In fact, they actually enrich the soil in which they grow.
Pruning and deadheading:
Deadheading spent flowers will often encourage a second flush of blooms in early fall, especially in areas with cool summers. Once the foliage starts to yellow at the end of the season, you can cut perennial species back to the ground.
Propagation:
Because lupines don’t like being divided and transplanted, the best way to propagate them is by seed. To encourage self-sowing, avoid deadheading and pruning and allow the flowers to form seedpods. Perennial species can also be propagated from cuttings taken from shoots at the base of the plant in spring. Be aware that lupine cultivars propagated from homegrown seed may not stay true to the original color and will often revert to shades of violet.
Pest and disease control:
Aphids and powdery mildew are lupine’s biggest nemeses and can cause a lot of damage by disfiguring the leaves and inhibiting flower development. Horticultural oils are often effective in treating aphids as well as preventing powdery mildew. As a last resort, prune affected plants back to the ground to encourage healthy new growth.
LUPINE PICTURES
Photo by: Proven Winners.
‘Manhattan Lights’ — Buy now from Proven Winners
Lupinus polyphyllus
A member of the West Country™ series, this spectacular variety displays a dramatic contrast of deep purple and neon-yellow blooms that run down the entire length of tall flower spikes. See more of the West Country series.
Zones:
Height:
2 to 3 feet tall
Photo by: Proven Winners.
Mini Gallery™ Red — Buy now from Proven Winners
Lupinus polyphyllus
A compact, early-bloomer, this lupine prefers full sun to light shade and cooler climates. The bright red blooms are irresistible to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. See more of the Mini Gallery series.
Zones:
Height:
18 to 24 inches tall
Photo by: Tony Baggett / Shutterstock.
‘The Chatelaine’
Lupinus polyphyllus
This aristocratic beauty features sweetly scented, rosy pink flowers accented with white banners. It looks magnificent alone or mixed with one or more of the other varieties. It’s height at 3 to 4 feet make it a colorful addition to the back of the border.
Zones:
Height:
3 to 4 feet tall
Photo by: Hirt’s Gardens.
Tutti Frutti series
Lupinus polyphyllus
Tutti Frutti™ lupines give you an amazing array of colors, ready to brighten any bare spots in your garden. The vivacious color combos include dark purple and magenta, persimmon and gold, butter and cream, pink and primrose, two-tone pink, and purple with coral. Tutti-Frutti lupines bloom the first year from seed.
Zones:
Height:
36 to 40 inches tall
Photo by: Seedville.
‘Alamo Fire’
Lupinus texensis
This exceptional annual variety of Texas bluebonnet was originally discovered growing in the wild near San Antonio. Also called maroon bluebonnet, it features distinctive reddish-maroon petals with white tips and bears more numerous flower clusters than its kin. Like most wild lupines, it is drought tolerant and thrives in sandy soil.
Zones:
Height:
1 to 2 feet tall
Photo by: Seed Needs.
‘Pixie Delight’
Lupinus hartwegii nanus
This diminutive annual lupine is ideal for smaller gardens. Cultivated from a California native wildflower (L. nanus), it grows quickly from seed and blooms profusely throughout the summer months. The softly colored blooms come in an array of pretty pastels including light blue, pink, white, and violet.
Zones:
Height:
12 to 18 inches tall
Photo by: Stickpen / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain.
Golden Lupine
Lupinus densiflorus var. aureus
A magnet for a diversity of bees, this radiant golden-yellow wildflower is recommended by The Xerces Society for use in pollinator habitat restoration in its native state of California. It reseeds readily and tolerates drought and poor soils.
Zones:
Height:
2 to 3 feet tall
Photo by: Walters Gardens, Inc.
Popsicle Series
Lupinus
This midsized hybrid blooms about two weeks earlier than other hybrids, giving you nonstop color from spring well into summer. The flowers come in a yummy palette of ice-cream parlor colors including vanilla yellow, grape purple, cherry red, bubblegum pink, and a variety of bicolors.
Zones:
Height:
18 to 24 inches tall
DESIGN IDEAS USING LUPINE
Few plants are as effective as lupines for creating a strong vertical statement in the garden. You’ll often see them planted in ensembles of mixed colors in cottage gardens, where they have been a staple since colonial times. They also are impressive when planted en masse in wildflower or meadow gardens, especially when allowed to naturalize freely. Although lupines don’t make good container plants because of their long taproots, the bold, spiky blooms are ideal for use as “thrillers” in cut-flower arrangements.