Lupinus micranthus seed

LATIN NAME: Lupinus micranthus

COMMON NAME: Small Lupine

The small lupine flares the blue and white flower spikes above the soft, palmate leaves, the whole plant standing in the fine, bright look of the dry meadow. The low, tufted, perennial herb carries the soft, palmate leaves with the many narrow, silky leaflets, and the short, dense, upright spikes of the small, pea-like, blue and white flowers through the early summer, one of the bright, steady sights of the dry meadow, drawing the bees, to be followed by the small, hairy, flattened pods with the round, mottled seeds. The bright spikes have a very long record as the fine, showy flowers of the old gardens, and the plant is a historic presence of the dry meadow. It is a plant of the open, sunny, light, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The small lupine is a historic subject of the plant science, and the flower spikes keep showing up in the work on the nitrogen-fixing herbs. The way the short, dense, upright spikes of the small, pea-like flowers form above the soft, palmate leaves has been studied steadily, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the nitrogen-fixing herbs, the silky leaflets and the members of the pea family. The bright spikes and the tufted habit have also made it a fine study herb, and the small lupine is a regular subject of the work on the flower spikes of the cool world.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

The small lupine is a bright, useful herb of the dry meadow and the study collection. The soft, palmate leaves with the many narrow, silky leaflets carry the fine look of the dry meadow, one of the bright, steady sights of the dry meadow, drawing the bees, and the bright spikes have a very long record as the fine, showy flowers of the old gardens, the fine, blue flower spikes coming to the borders and the bright corners of the old gardens, while the short, dense, upright spikes of the small, pea-like, blue and white flowers open through the early summer, to be followed by the small, hairy, flattened pods with the round, mottled seeds. It is one of the fine choices for the dry meadow, the border and the study collection, and it has been written up in the horticultural and the botanical papers for the bright spikes and the very long history. It is a bright, useful herb of the open, sunny, light, well-drained garden.

The lupine seeds germinate well in a gritty mix kept lightly moist. The young plants are sturdy once they root, and they take the light, well-drained ground of the open border well, the spikes coming on from an early age.

To grow the small lupine from seed, sow the large, mottled seeds singly in the deep tray of gritty soil, a centimetre down, keep the tray in a bright, open spot and water gently, then set the young plants out in the open ground. The seedlings push through within a couple of weeks and grow on steadily. With the sun and the light, well-drained ground, the blue spikes will rise over the years.