Lupine
Lupinus 'Russell Hybrids'
Family Fabaceae
Lupine builds towers of bloom in colors that look invented — raspberry, apricot, cream, bicolor blues — dense spires rising two to four feet above handsome starburst foliage. In cool-summer country, from New England to the Pacific Northwest, whole roadsides of it stop traffic at bloom time.
Butterflies and bees crowd the spires, and as a legume it quietly feeds the soil it stands in. It is honest to say lupine prefers cool summers and can live fast elsewhere — grow it anyway; a wild blue cousin is the only host of the Karner blue butterfly.
Full Sun to Light Shade
Moderate water
Fast growth
Attracts butterflies
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing lupine? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries lupine — Lupinus russell, print Nº 287, “Lupine.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what lupine actually needs.
Hardy inZones 4-8Lupine · Common problems
Common lupine problems
Pests
2 problems on file
Diseases
2 problems on file
- Powdery Mildew
- Crown Rot in heat/wet
Lupine · Growing & propagation
Growing lupine
- Light
- Full Sun to Light Shade, cool roots
- Water
- Moderate, even
Soil- Rich, well-drained, slightly ACID
Nitrogen-fixer · pH 5.5 - 6.5
Fertilizer- None
It fixes its own nitrogen
Pruning- After bloom
Deadhead the main spike for a smaller second flush; short-lived (2-4 yrs) but self-sows.
Spacing- 15-18 in
How to plant & propagate lupine
- Propagate
- Division or seed
Lupine · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Lupine · Yearly calendar
The lupine year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomMay to June
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Lupine · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Lupinus 'Russell Hybrids'
Lupine in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer perennial
- N-fixer
- Dynamic accumulator
- Nectary/insectary
- Hosts Karner blue (native lupine), frosted elfin
- Attracts
- Butterflies, Bees
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What lupine is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesSeeds/foliage toxic (as many legumes) — not for eating
Use- Cottage spires
- Use
- Cool climates
- Use
- Cut flowers
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Lupine · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a lupine variety
'Russell Hybrids' (the tall rainbow spires); 'Gallery' (dwarf); native L. perennis (host for endangered Karner blue butterfly)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Lupine
Lupinus 'Russell Hybrids'
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Lupinus 'Russell Hybrids'
- Plant family
- Fabaceae
- Growth habit
- Perennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- LUPIN
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
for Lupine
Research from these sources
Missouri Botanical Garden
NC State Extension
Virginia Cooperative Extension / Virginia Tech (Publication 354-313), with USDA Forest Service National Agroforestry CenterPublisher marks identify sources, not sponsorship or endorsement.
Questions
Lupine questions, answered straight.
Is lupine safe for kids and pets?
With care. Seeds/foliage toxic (as many legumes) — not for eating Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
How do you propagate lupine?
Division or seed.
Elsewhere
Where lupine sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily