Lupine

Lupinus perennis

The blue spires of Lupine are a welcome sight in late spring and early summer. Lupine is an excellent plant for dry sandy soils where so many other plants struggle, but it will not do well in clay soils. Low-growing, with …

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In stock
SKU
35750-03 / 15750
Plants 3" Pots
1-4 $7.99 ea.
5-10 $6.99 ea.
11-31 $5.99 ea.
32+ $4.99 ea.
Seeds 1,000 seeds/oz
1/4 Oz $24.00
1/2 Oz $36.00
Oz $60.00 Sold Out
Lb $900.00 Sold Out
Cultural Details
Soil Type Sand
Soil Moisture Dry
Sun Exposure Full Sun, Partial
Height 1' - 2'
Bloom Color Blue
Bloom Time May, June
Spacing 1'
Zones 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Root Type Taproot
Benefits Butterflies, Pollinators, Hummingbirds, Host Plant, Deer Resistant
Seeds per Oz 1000
Propagation Treatment Moist Stratification, Rhizobium
Days to Moist Stratify 10 days
Direct Sowing Time Fall

The blue spires of Lupine are a welcome sight in late spring and early summer. Lupine is an excellent plant for dry sandy soils where so many other plants struggle, but it will not do well in clay soils. Low-growing, with beautiful palmate foliage, plant it with Lanceleaf Coreopsis and Prairie Smoke for a colorful early-season combination.

Lupine is a host plant for the rare Karner Blue butterfly (Plebejus melissa), but habitat loss has led to a decline of Lupine plants in the wild, and put the Karner Blue on the endangered species list. Leaves that have been fed upon by Karner blues have distinctive transparent areas where the caterpillars have selectively eaten the green fleshy parts.

Besides the Karner Blue butterfly, Lupine is also a host plant for the Eastern Tailed Blue (Cupido comyntas), Queen Alexandra's Sulphur (Colias alexandra), Frosted Elfin (Callophrys irus), Wild Indigo Duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae), and the Persius Dusky Wing (Erynnis persius) butterflies.