HOW TO GROW PERENNIAL RUSSELL LUPINE

• Once you’ve successfully grown a lupine, you’re likely to be hooked for life.
• Not only is the gardener rewarded with outstanding color from spires of densely-packed flowers in a multitude of hues, but the grayish-green palmate foliage also graces the garden with fabulous texture and shape.
• Some of our favorite wildflowers across the United States are lupines, from the Texas bluebonnet (L. texensis), to the eye-popping displays of violet-blue Arroyo (L.succulentus) and L. polyphyllus running up the Northern Pacific Coast. 
• Perennial lupine, the classic old-favorite is still wildly popular, as are the impressive Russell hybrids (bred from Perennial lupines during the 20th century) which come in shades of red, white, cream, orange, pink, purple as well as in bi-colored variations.
• Wherever you grow them, however you grow them, you’ll find yourself wanting to reach out and feel the texture of the densely bunched oh-so-touchable flowers – but you’ll certainly have to wave away a host of pollinators first!

When & Where to Plant Lupine

• Choose a sunny site with average, well-draining soil. Lupines are legumes and can improve a soil’s fertility over time.
• Light: Full sun is preferred. Lupine can grow in part shade, but flowering will be lessened.
• Soil: Lupine needs well-draining soil above all else. It prefers soil on the acid side and will not tolerate high levels of alkalinity or water-logged conditions. Russell hybrids and L. polyphyllus have more tolerance for moist conditions than many other species, but none are lovers of high heat or humidity.
• Lupines are deep rooted and do not spread except through re-seeding. Seeds will not come true to the original variety planted, but will eventually revert to blue-violet and white.
• Planting: The most important thing to note before planting Lupines, is that they are available as both annuals and perennials. While Lupine seeds may yield both annual (life cycle complete in one growing season) and perennial (long-lived, coming back each spring) varieties, potted Lupine plants are typically perennial cultivars.
• For seeds: Lupine seeds can be planted in very early spring, but tend to do better if planted in late spring and allowed to overwinter, blooming in the following spring like foxgloves. They have a very tough seed coat, and it’s a good idea to either soak seeds for 24-48 hours, or roughen them between two sheets of sandpaper before planting.
• Cover lightly with soil (1/8”) and tamp down the seeds well – making sure they make good soil to seed contact. Water in, and if the weather is dry, water lightly until germination which can take up to 10 days