Lupinus (Lupine)

Garden Design with Lupine Flowers

Lupines are impressive plants that can add a significant visual impact to your garden. Their towering spikes of colorful flowers, combined with their distinctive, palmate foliage, can create stunning displays. Here are some tips for garden design with Lupine flowers:

Height: Lupines can range in height from 1 to 5 feet, depending on the species. Use this to your advantage by planting them towards the back of a border to add height, or in the middle of an island bed where they can be viewed from all sides.

Color: Lupines come in a variety of colors from soft pastels to vibrant hues. You can use a mass of one color for a bold statement, or mix different colors for a more cottage garden feel.

Companion Plants: Lupines pair well with other perennial plants. Companion plants that go well with Lupines include Aquilegia, Geranium, Campanula, and Papaver. You could also consider pairing them with ornamental grasses or roses.

Wildlife Garden: Lupines are excellent for attracting pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Consider creating a pollinator-friendly garden with Lupines and other native plants.

Cottage Garden: Lupines fit well into a traditional cottage garden scheme, mixed with other perennials and annuals for a display of color and texture.

Meadow or Prairie: If you have a larger space, consider a meadow or prairie-style garden. Lupines can be mixed with other wildflowers and grasses for a naturalistic look.

Remember to provide Lupines with the growing conditions they prefer, which typically include full sun and well-drained soil. Lupines also prefer slightly acidic soil, so it’s good to check your soil pH and amend as needed before planting.

Companion Plants

Lupines can be paired with a wide variety of other plants in the garden to create beautiful and diverse landscapes. Here are some good companion plants for Lupines:

Geraniums (Geranium spp.): Geraniums come in a wide variety of colors and are often shorter, so they provide a nice contrast when planted in front of taller Lupines.

Campanulas (Campanula spp.): Also known as Bellflowers, Campanulas can complement the shape and structure of Lupines in the garden, and their bell-shaped flowers offer a pleasing contrast to the vertical spikes of Lupine flowers.

Aquilegia (Aquilegia spp.): Known as Columbines, these flowers have a delicate, airy quality that contrasts beautifully with the bold, robust look of Lupines.

Papaver (Papaver spp.): Poppies, with their large, eye-catching flowers, can provide a nice color contrast and texture difference when paired with Lupines.

Salvia (Salvia spp.): Salvia plants often have tall, spiky flowers that can echo the shape of Lupine flowers, but they tend to bloom later, so they can extend the flowering season in your garden.

Grasses (Various species): Ornamental grasses can provide a nice texture contrast and give the garden a natural, meadow-like feel.

Roses (Rosa spp.): Roses can offer a beautiful color contrast and different flower shape, and certain varieties can also provide a height contrast.

Foxgloves (Digitalis spp.): Foxgloves have tall, spiky blooms similar to Lupines, and they can add to the vertical interest in your garden.

Bearded Iris (Iris germanica): This is a great choice due to its similar needs for well-drained soil and full sun. The sword-like foliage and intricate, contrasting blooms of Bearded Iris can create a striking textural and color contrast with the tall, dense flower spikes of Lupinus.

Allium: Alliums, or ornamental onions, have a completely different look and feel. Their spherical flower heads on long stems make a beautiful contrast to the vertical spikes of Lupinus flowers. Both plants enjoy sunny locations and well-drained soil.

Eryngium (Sea Holly): This plant is an excellent companion for Lupinus due to its unique and dramatic flower heads, which contrast nicely with the Lupinus.

Achillea (Yarrow): Achillea is a great choice as it offers a very different growth habit. Its flat-topped flower clusters create a nice contrast to the tall spires of Lupinus.

Remember, when selecting companion plants, consider their growth habits, flower forms, colors, and growing requirements, to ensure they are compatible and will complement each other well.

Growing Tips

Lupines are fairly easy to grow, provided you cater to their specific needs. Here are some steps to cultivate Lupines successfully:

Select the Right Site: Lupines thrive in full sun to partial shade. They need well-draining soil and prefer a slightly acidic pH (6.0 to 7.0). They don’t tolerate heavy clay or overly wet soils.

Sow Seeds or Plant Young Plants: If you’re planting Lupine seeds, they have a tough coating, so it can help to soak them in warm water overnight, or nick the seed coat with a file to aid germination. Plant seeds in spring or autumn, about 1/4 inch deep. Alternatively, if you’re planting young Lupine plants, dig a hole deep and wide enough for the plant’s root ball. Position the plant so that the top of the root ball aligns with the soil surface, then backfill the hole and firm the soil gently around the roots.

Watering: Water Lupines well after planting. Continue to water regularly, especially during dry spells, but avoid waterlogging the soil, which can lead to root rot.

Fertilizing: As Lupines are legumes and can fix nitrogen from the air into the soil, they generally don’t require high nitrogen fertilizers. An application of a balanced slow-release granular or liquid fertilizer in early spring should suffice.

Pruning: After Lupines have flowered, deadhead spent blooms to prolong flowering. Once flowering finishes, cut the stalk back to the base to potentially encourage a second flush of blooms.

Overwintering: In colder climates, add a layer of mulch or straw in the winter to protect the plant.

Pest and Disease Control: Monitor plants regularly for signs of pests or disease. Lupines can attract aphids and are susceptible to powdery mildew, especially in crowded, humid conditions.

Propagation: Lupines can be propagated by seeds, division, or cuttings. Just be aware that hybrids may not come true from seed.

Finally, remember that all parts of Lupine plants, including the seeds, are toxic if ingested. Be sure to handle with care and keep them away from children and pets.