How to Plant and Grow Lupine

Spring-blooming lupines display showy spikes of densely packed blossoms on stiff stems reaching 4 feet tall and green foliage covered in fine gray hair. In their native habitats, lupines cover hillsides with vibrant displays. In some varieties, the flowers are bicolor blossoms that pair a set of white petals with a second set in a primary color, creating a layered effect. Small pleated leaflets grow in rings around a central point, forming a cuplike shape.

Hardy in Zones 4-9, lupine can be grown as either an annual or perennial, depending on the environment.

Where to Plant Lupine

Lupines thrive in regions with cool summers—such as the West Coast, Pacific Northwest, northern United States, southern Canada, and New England. However, the deep South’s heat and humidity (Zones 7-9) compromise lupines’ well-being; grow these flowers as annuals in this area. Make sure lupines get light afternoon shade in warmer climates to cool things down.

Lupines are traditional additions to a cottage garden and look lovely in a mixed border. The blooms make good cut flowers for arrangements.

How and When to Plant Lupine

While lupine perennials are easy to start from seed, these short-lived plants are challenging to over-winter when not grown in their ideal settings. The native species doesn’t perform well as ornamentals in home-garden settings. Instead of growing wild lupines in home gardens, look for hybrids that thrive as cool-summer perennials, understanding that hot summer temperatures will end their flowering for the season.

For a potted specimen, dig a hole about the same width and depth as the planting container. Remove the plant and loosen the roots a bit from the root ball before placing in the hole. Backfill with soil, tamp lightly, and water well.

To plant lupine seeds outside, prepare the bed by scratching the soil. Scarify the seed and plant 1/4-inch into the ground and loosely cover. Keep the soil moist until you see germination and continue to water regularly until the plant is established. Most plants will flower more profusely in their second seaason.

Lupine Care Tips

Lupine is easy to care for and requires little maintenance.

Light

For the best flower production and the sturdiest stems, plants should be grown in full sun.

Soil and Water

Grow lupines in rich, fertile, slightly acidic, well-drained soil. Soggy soil will result in root rot. If rainfall is lacking, water once a week.

Temperature and Humidity

Lupines like climates with summers on the cooler side. They don’t do well in high heat and humidity. You can also reduce the temperature in root zones by applying mulch around the plant.

Fertilizer

Fertilizing lupine may result in the overgrowth of foliage, reducing the flowering of plants. If the soil is too alkaline, use a specialty fertilizer to add acidity according to manufacturer’s directions.

Pruning

Cut away dead branches to prevent disease spread, and cut back all foliage once it turns brown as the weather turns cold. During the growing season, deadhead spent flowers to encourage further blooming. Alternatively, cutting the plant back to half after its first bloom will encourage new growth as well.

Potting and Repotting Lupine

Use deep, well-draining containers to pot lupines. Its taproots are long and need room to grow. Use lightweight soil to allow for good drainage. Water when the top 2 inches are dry and keep watering until a stream of water flows out of drainage holes. Repot when roots begin to grow out of drainage holes, but use caution when lifting the plants out of the container since the taproots are very delicate.

Pests and Problems

Lupines are susceptible to powdery mildew; good air circulation helps prevent this problem. Cut away affected leaves. If a plant develops brown spot, remove the plants and destroy them.

Common garden pests can be an issue for lupine. Use horticultural soap to cleanse plants of aphids, snails and slugs.

How to Propagate Lupine

You may benefit from self-seeding if you live in suitable zones and have the right environment for lupines in your garden. If the parent plants are hybrids, the seedlings will not come true, and you’re likely to end up with various flower colors. Rooting side-shoot cuttings in late spring to early summer is more likely to be successful for propagating identical new plants.

Types of Lupine

Russell Lupine

Lupinus Russell Hybrids make bushy mounds of fingered foliage. Dramatic foot-long spikes of large pea-like flowers rise above the clumps. Individual flowers are often bicolored and come in a range of hues. Zones 4-8

Gallery Series Lupine

This colorful mix of pink, purple, and white flower spikes is ideal for planting at the front of borders. it grows just 20 inches tall

Lupine Companion Plants

Centaurea

Mountain bluet and perennial bachelor’s button have the easy, casual growth habit of the wildflowers they are. All types are prolific nectar producers that attract butterflies. They self-seed readily, giving you lots more plants through the years. After blooming, the plants get somewhat weedy looking and benefit from a cutting back by a third to a half to keep them tidy. Zones 3-8

Iris

Named for the Greek goddess of the rainbow, iris comes in many colors and heights. All have classic and intricate flowers. The flowers are constructed with three upright “standard” petals and three drooping “fall” petals, which are often different colors. The falls may be “bearded” or not. Some cultivars bloom a second time in late summer. Zones 3-9

Jupiter’s Beard

Known as red valerian because of its rosy pink flowers, Jupiter’s beard is one of the longest-blooming perennials in the garden. Deadheading prolongs bloom and prevents self-seeding. Jupiter’s beard has escaped from gardens and is now a nonnative wildflower in some regions. Zones 5-11