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Growing and Caring for Lupine (Bluebonnet) | The Old Farmer's Almanac

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Lupines

Botanical Name
Lupinus spp.
Plant Type
Flower
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Part Sun
Soil pH
Neutral
Slightly Acidic to Neutral
Bloom Time
Spring
Summer
Flower Color
Blue
Pink
Purple
Red
White
Yellow
Hardiness Zone
3
4
5
6
7
Special Features
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Songbirds
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How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Lupine (also called Bluebonnet)

Catherine Boeckmann
November 3, 2023
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Lupines, with their colorful flower spikes, are planted in spring or fall. Also called bluebonnets, lupines not only attract butterflies and pollinators but also are deer-resistant and low-maintenance! See how to grow and care for lupines.

All About Lupine

Lupinus includes hundreds of species, many native to North America! You’ll see them both in the wild and in gardens—from California to Maine. This hardy perennial blooms in late spring (April to June) and is a great addition to a low-maintenance meadowscape or cottage-style garden.  Lupines were once thought to steal nutrients from the soil—hence their genus name, Lupinus, which is Latin for “wolf.” However, lupines are in the pea family and as nitrogen-fixers can actually improve soil.

The pea-like flowers are arranged on upright spikes varied in color from deep blue to purple shades. Growing 1 to 4 feet tall, the leaves of lupine are also beautiful with grey-green palmate foliage with silvery hairs. The seed pod looks like a hairy pea pod and contains up to 12 seeds. In fact, lupines are a legume, which means that they fix nitrogen in the soil and they enrich your soil health. 

Note: Not all lupines are perennials; the potted plants are typically perennial cultivars but other lupines are annuals.

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Planting

Lupines prefer full sun; they’ll grow in light shade but won’t flower as profusely. They also prefer sandy, well-drained soil and can’t survive water-logged conditions. Also, they can not tolerate heavy soils so be sure to loosen the soil up before planting. 

When to Plant Lupines

  • Plant in cool temperatures; lupine can not tolerate heat, humidity, or drought.
  • Lupine seeds are sown in early spring or in the fall. Many gardeners prefer to plant in fall to enjoy them mid-spring. 
  • If starting seedlings indoors, you can transplant them when they are about 4 to 6 weeks old. At this age, they haven’t developed the long tap root and will have a better chance to survive.

How to Plant Lupines

  • First, just loosen soil for the lupines’ long tap roots to grow; loosen to a depth of about 1 to 1-1/2 foot; amend with organic matter and grit for good drainage. 
  • Before planting, soak seeds in a bowl of warm water 24 to 48 hours to soften the tough seed coat, and then you can “scarify” the seeds to allow moisture to reach the seed; this means roughening the seeds between two sheets of sandpaper before planting. Scarifying the seeds great improves the odds of germination.
  • To sow seeds, dig a hole 1/2 inch deeper than the seedling pot and twice as wide. Space seedlings for smaller varieties about 1 foot apart and larger varieties about 2 to 3 feet apart. 
  • Tamp down the seeds, ensuring good soil contact. Water, and if the weather is dry, water lightly until germination, which can take up to 10 days.
Growing
  • Avoid fertilizing; if necessary, apply an acidifying agent to maintain slightly acidic pH in the soil.
  • Taller varieties may need staking.
  • Cut off faded flowers to promote more blooms.
  • Save the seeds when the pods turn yellow.
  • Don’t cut dead spikes in the fall, wait until spring.
  • Harvest and save seeds then the pods turn yellow and seeds rattle inside.
  • Add mulch around the plants to keep the roots cool (and for winter protection).
  • Do not allow mulch or other organic matter to touch the crown of the plant, as it could introduce rot.
Recommended Varieties

There are over 200 wild species of lupine, and most are North American natives. These usually have blue, white, or yellow flowers.

Garden lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus), aka big-leaved lupine: blue, pink, and purple flowers; native to much of western North America; prefers moist environments.

Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis) is a blue perennial plant that grows in the eastern half of North America.

Texas Bluebonnet (L. texensis) is an annual plant with dark blue flowers with white markings that cover fields and roadsides in Texas every April.

Russell hybrid lupines (L. polyphyllus) also called garden lupines have been the basic perennial group from which all new hybrids are created. Be patient; it can take a year to begin its abundant blooms.

The Russell Lupine Mix seeds are easy to grow and the tall flowers bloom in a variety of colors.

Lupine Woodfield Hybrids are perennial plants that come in deeper shades and beautiful bi-colored blooms.

Dwarf hybrids ‘Dwarf Lulu’ and ‘Minarette’ grow only to 1 ½ to 2 feet tall. Excellent for small gardens, containers, or the front of beds and borders. Plants grow to 20 inches tall. Winter hardy to zone 4.

Gardening Products

Wit and Wisdom
  • Lupines are nitrogen-fixing and can improve your soil!
  • Many species of lupine are poisonous to livestock.
  • Lupines are deer-resistant.
  • The lupine flowers are not edible, but the seeds are. The nut-like seeds were once a favorite food for traveling troops in ancient Europe.
  • Lupine seeds can be ground into flour. In Europe this flour is used in baking.
Pests/Diseases

Lupine is deer-resistant. 

Diseases: anthracnose; blight, Botrytis; blight, southern; brown spot; leaf spots, fungal; mildew, downy; mildew, powdery; rot, Phytophthora crown and root; rot, Rhizoctonia root and stem; rust; viruses; wilt, Fusarium. 

Pests: aphids; slugs/snails; thrips.

Gardening

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Comments

Denise T (not verified)

18 hours 54 min ago

What am I missing? I'm just a little confused, how do you soak the seeds in WARM water for 1 to 2 days? The water will cool down after a few minutes unless there's some sort of heat source, won't it?

tom chase (not verified)

5 months ago

In VT after the Lupine have gone to seed along the roadways, I collect the seeds take them to my fields and scatter mimicking what goes on naturally. Some tale, many don't. In several places I didn't scatter, suddenly the plant grows. Must have been either bird or animal was the culprit doing natures thing. Trying to plant the seeds hasn't worked well. Mother Nature to the rescue. In Northern VT Newark, they grow wild greatly. Family has a field full of them. Seeds get scattered by the mowing of the fields. Didn't know the seeds were eatable.

Adria (not verified)

5 months ago

I my lupin seeds germinated after 6 days and I didn't soak them or fiddle with sand paper.
Seems like a bizarre piece of advice not sure if originates from ancient times and no one ever questioned its validity.
Lupins self seed naturally and seeds need no help from a sand paper ! I suggest you probably should remove that as it sounds a bit silly.

Actually it is not silly at all. Stratification and scarification are recommended for many plant seeds since those processes greatly improve germination rates.

Many seeds require following special instructions prior to planting. Most sources (cooperative extensions, seed companies) recommend soaking/scarifying lupine seeds prior to planting. While there will be instances when seeds successfully germinate without following specific instructions for soaking/scarifying, doing so will increate the chance that your lupine seeds will germinate.

Savannah (not verified)

9 months 3 weeks ago

Aren’t these plants poisonous?

Arthur A Edwards (not verified)

3 years 4 months ago

Where Do you recommend we purchase plants from?.

These are all relatively common garden plants, so you should be able to find them at most local nurseries or garden centers!