Lupine
$2.00
Sale price
$2.00
Regular price
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Lupine
$2.00
Sale price
$2.00
Regular price
(Lupinus nootkatensis)
Nootka Lupine, is a hardy perennial legume native to the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Its known for its vibrant, pea-like blue to purple flowers, it thrives in full sun and nutrient-poor, well-drained soils. The plant enriches the soil by fixing atmospheric nitrogen.
- Appearance: Grows 1 to 3 feet tall with stout, hairy stems and palmately compound leaves with 5 to 9 leaflets.
- Bloom Time: Blooms from June to August, producing dense, 12 inch racemes of blue, violet, or sometimes pink and white tinged flowers.
- Habitat: Typically found in meadows, along roadsides, on gravel bars, and in glacial outwash plains.
- Toxicity: Like many members of the pea family, Nootka lupine produces fuzzy pods filled with seeds that are toxic if ingested, though they are not considered cumulatively poisonous.
- Light: Full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily). Partial shade leads to leggy, poorly branched plants.
- Soil: Prefers sandy or gravelly loam with a neutral to slightly acidic pH. Excellent drainage is mandatory; avoid waterlogged clay, which causes root rot.
- Water: Keep the soil moist but not soggy during the first growing season for root development. Once established, Nootka lupines are remarkably drought-tolerant.
- Fertilizer: Do not apply high-nitrogen fertilizers. Lupines make their own nitrogen and excess levels will cause lush foliage but very few blossoms.
Planting & Propagation
- Scarification: Nootka lupine seeds have a tough coat that inhibits water absorption. Lightly scratch the seeds with sandpaper or nick the coating before planting.
- Soaking: Soak seeds in warm water for 12 to 24 hours prior to sowing to accelerate germination.
- Sowing: Plant seeds 1/4 inch deep. Lupines do not like root disturbance, so direct sowing in early spring or late fall is highly successful.
- Germination: Sprouts will typically emerge in 14 to 30 days. Space established plants 12 to 18 inches apart.
Maintenance & Troubleshooting
- Deadheading: Cut back spent flower spikes right after blooming to encourage a second, smaller flush of flowers in the early fall.
- Overwintering: In late fall, trim dead foliage back to the ground to prevent disease from over-wintering. Apply a light mulch around the root base, but keep it away from the main crown to prevent rot.
- Pest & Disease: Watch out for aphids on the foliage and powdery mildew in damp, overcrowded conditions. Horticultural oils can help treat these problems.
All our Lupine seeds are harvested and processed by hand from Wild Lupine plants on the Kenai Peninsula!
Perennial
Hardiness Zone 2-7
Each pack contains approximately 25 seeds