Lupinus luteus Seeds | Yellow Lupine
LATIN NAME: Lupinus luteus
COMMON NAME: Yellow Lupine
Plant Profile
Yellow Lupine (Lupinus luteus) is an upright, bushy, annual in the pea family. Yellow lupine is bright, generous legume of poor, sandy ground, feeding soil as it grows. Upright, bushy, annual plant carries palmate leaves with many narrow leaflets and tall, upright spikes of bright-yellow, pea-like flowers through summer, to be followed by hairy pods of round, mottled seeds. Plant is one of fine, generous green manures of old fields, and seeds have a long record as a crop of poor ground. When it flowers, local bees and other insects make good use of it. Together these qualities explain its long-standing appeal to gardeners.
Science & Biotechnology
The species features in the wider study of the pea family, and its traits make it a useful subject for work on germination biology, cultivation and ornamental selection. Yellow lupine is a bright, steady subject of plant science, studied for upright spikes of yellow flowers and way plant feeds poor ground. Because it has been grown for so long, its garden habits are thoroughly documented.
Uses & Benefits
In the garden, Yellow Lupine earns its place in borders, containers and mixed plantings, and it also rewards growers who raise plants for cutting, drying or kitchen use. Yellow lupine is a bright, generous plant of poor, sandy ground. Tall, upright spikes of bright-yellow flowers open through summer, drawing bees, and deep roots feed soil with nitrogen, making lupine one of great green manures of old fields. Mottled seeds have a long record as a crop of poor ground, and plant is a fine, easy choice for wild patch, sandy bank and soil-building planting. Establishment is uncomplicated, and afterwards ordinary care suffices.
Lupins are protein-rich legume crops, lupini beans being a Mediterranean snack after debittering, while the ornamental spires feed bumblebees; alkaloid-rich garden types are not for the table without processing.
Growing from Seed
Starting Yellow Lupine from seed is simple and satisfying. Broadcast the seed thinly over a fine, free-draining compost, sieve a little more compost on top, and water with a fine rose. Grow the youngsters on steadily in pots until well rooted, then move them to their final positions.
Our Take
Yellow Lupine repays a little patience at sowing time with plenty of garden presence later.
Related Reading
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