Once you’ve successfully grown Lupines, you’re likely to be hooked for life. You will love the outstanding color of densely-packed flower spikes, and the palmate foliage also graces the garden with fabulous texture and form.
Lupines are deer resistant and make a great addition to a low-maintenance meadowscape or cottage-style garden. Lupines attract bees and butterflies of all sorts with their multi- and bi-colored flowers, and are a great choice for pollinator gardens.
Lupines are a legume, which means that they fix nitrogen in the soil and they enrich your soil health. Intensively planting lupine can increase your soil fertility.
Some of our favorite native wildflowers across the United States are in the Lupine family, from the famous Texas Bluebonnet (L. texensis), to the eye-popping displays of violet-blue Arroyo Lupines (L.succulentus). Perennial Lupine (L. perennis), the classic favorite is still wildly popular, as are the impressively colorful Russell Lupine hybrids (L. polyphyllus), bred from Perennial lupines during the 20th century.
Annual Lupines, including Texas Bluebonnets and Arroyo Lupines, have a one-year lifecycle. In warmer climates with the right growing conditions, they may reseed. In colder climates where plants cant overwinter, its best to reseed each year.
Perennial Lupine and Russell Lupine are perennials, so these plants will return year after year from their established root systems.
Lupines are beautiful perennial flowers that come in a variety of colors like purple, blue, pink, white, and yellow. With their tall spires and dense foliage, lupines make great additions to borders, cottage gardens, and cutting gardens. But what should you plant with lupine to create a stunning and productive garden?
Here are 10 great companion plants for lupines along with growing tips:
1. Foxgloves
Foxgloves are classic cottage garden plants that pair beautifully with lupines. Their tall spires of tubular flowers come in shades of purple pink white, and yellow, complementing the colors of lupine blooms. As a biennial, foxgloves will self-seed and return for many years. Plus their deep roots help break up compacted soil. Allow 1-2 feet between lupine and foxglove plants.
2. Catmint
Catmint (Nepeta) is a low-growing perennial with aromatic gray-green foliage and pretty spikes of lavender-blue flowers that bloom all summer long. It makes an attractive edging plant in front of lupines and helps repel deer. For best results, plant catmint 12-18 inches from lupines. Prune back faded catmint flowers to encourage continuous blooming.
3. Lavender
Like catmint, lavender is deer and rabbit resistant making it a smart companion for lupines. Lavender’s small purple flowers and fragrant silvery foliage complement lupines nicely in perennial beds and borders. Space lavender plants about 1-2 feet from lupines for good air circulation. Trim back spent lavender flower spikes each spring.
4. Salvia
Also called sage, salvia produces spires of small flowers in hues of blue, purple, pink, red, or white depending on variety. Its nectar-rich blooms attract pollinators while the herbaceous foliage releases a fresh, aromatic fragrance. Grow salvia 10-12 inches away from lupines for optimal results. Deadhead spent salvia blooms to encourage reblooming.
5. Gaillardia
Sometimes called blanket flower, gaillardia is prized for its daisy-like flowers in radiant shades of red, orange, yellow, and burgundy. As a drought-tolerant, low-maintenance perennial, it thrives alongside lupines. Gaillardia flowers continuously from early summer into fall, providing season-long color. Allow 1-2 feet between plants. Deadhead spent blooms regularly.
6. Sea Holly
Sea holly (Eryngium) adds unique texture and form to a lupine planting with its spiky steel-blue flower heads and succulent, silver-green foliage. A tough perennial, it thrives in hot, sunny conditions. Position sea holly 1-2 feet from lupines for impact. Let its seedheads dry on the plants for winter interest.
7. Delphinium
Delphinium produces tall spires densely packed with blue, purple, white, or pink flowers in early to midsummer. Pair delphinium with lupines to create a cottage garden feel. Give delphinium rich, moist soil and partial shade in hot climates. Pinch back spent flower spikes to the basal leaves to encourage reblooming.
8. Dianthus
Also called garden pinks, dianthus offers grassy blue-green foliage and pretty flowers in pink, red, lavender, or white. As a low-growing perennial, it makes a nice edging or front border plant for lupines. Plant dianthus 6-8 inches away from lupines for good air flow. Shear back spent dianthus blooms to promote reblooming.
9. Echinacea
Commonly called coneflower, echinacea produces daisy-like purple blooms with prominent seed cones at their centers. The flowers attract butterflies and bees while gold finches eat the seeds in fall and winter. For continuous blooms, plant in full sun about 12 inches from lupines and deadhead spent flowers.
10. Veronica
Veronica offers tight spires of tiny blue, purple, or white flowers in summer over a carpet of green, toothed leaves. It grows 12-36 inches tall depending on variety. Plant veronica 6-12 inches from lupines for impact. Pinch back spent flower spikes to the basal foliage to encourage repeat blooming.
Growing Tips for Lupines:
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Plant lupine seeds or established plants in spring after the last frost. They prefer full sun (at least 6 hours daily) and average, well-drained soil.
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Space lupine plants 12-18 inches apart and water regularly until established. Mature plants are somewhat drought tolerant.
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Lupines thrive in slightly acidic soil but will tolerate a range of soil pH levels. Avoid wet, poorly drained sites.
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Apply a balanced organic fertilizer or compost in spring to promote growth. Too much nitrogen can cause floppy stems.
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Cut back lupine flower stems down to the basal foliage after blooming finishes to tidy up plants.
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Propagate lupines by sowing seeds directly in the garden in fall. You can also divide mature clumps every 2-3 years in spring.
In Summary:
Lupines make excellent companion plants for many perennials including foxgloves, catmint, lavender, salvia, gaillardia, sea holly, delphinium, dianthus, echinacea, and veronica. Choose companion plants with contrasting heights, textures, and bloom times for maximum impact. Give lupines full sun and moderately fertile, well-drained soil for best growth and flowers. Maintain optimal growing conditions and deadhead spent blooms for continuous beauty in your garden.
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. They prefer soil on the acid side and will not tolerate high levels of alkalinity or water-logged conditions. Russell hybrids (L. polyphyllus) have more tolerance for moist conditions than many other species. Avoid sites where plants will suffer from wet soil during the winter months.
Spacing: If broadcasting seed, broadcast at a rate of approximately 1 pound per 1000 feet. If planting mature plants, space larger varieties 2-3’ apart, smaller varieties 12-18” apart.
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.
Tips For Growing Lupine Plants:
- Upon delivery in early spring, plant immediately in a hole that has been amended with organic matter and grit for good drainage.
- Do not allow mulch or other organic matter to touch the crown of the plant, as it could introduce rot.
- Water in thoroughly.
Tips For Growing Lupine Seeds:
- 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.
- 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.
- Tamp down the seeds well – making sure they make good soil-to-seed contact. Water, and if the weather is dry, water lightly until germination, which can take up to 10 days.
How To Grow Lupine Throughout The Season
Growth Habit: These spring-blooming beauties are not tolerant of high heat or humidity. Lupine has a rounded habit and grows from 12-48” high depending on species or variety. Individual flowers resemble those of peas and are densely packed on spikes above the foliage.
Staking: Tall Lupines stand very straight on their own and do not require staking. For Russell species grown in garden settings, you may want to stake flower spikes if you live in an area with high winds.
Watering: For the first few months, make sure that Lupine plants are getting adequate water for good root development (they are deeply rooted), but let the soil dry out between waterings. After that, water only during periods of drought or very dry spells.
Fertilizing & Mulching: Extra fertilizing is not necessary, but a top dressing of compost is appreciated for perennials, as long as it isn’t placed close to the crown of the plant.
Trimming & Pruning: Lupines can bloom again lightly on side shoots if immediately deadheaded. However, if seeds have begun to form in the lower parts of the flower, they are unlikely to repeat their bloom.
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FAQ
What plants grow well with lupine?
Best Plants To Grow With Lupine
Flowering shrubs like lilacs and roses grow well with lupine, while foliage shrubs like boxwood provide a neutral, evergreen backdrop to lupine’s eye-catching flowers. Grow lupine with cottage garden and meadow plants like coneflowers, false indigo, sea holly, phlox, and bee balm.
Do lupines spread?
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Seed Production:Lupines produce numerous pea-like seeds in pods, which are dispersed when the pods pop open, often in late summer.
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Reseeding:These seeds can then germinate and grow into new lupine plants the following spring, leading to a natural expansion of the lupine population.
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Not True to Type:Seeds from lupines may not produce plants that are identical to the parent plant, and may revert to blue-violet and white colors.
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Controlling Spread:To prevent excessive spreading, you can cut off the flower heads before they go to seed, or remove seedlings that are not desired.
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Invasive Potential:Some lupine varieties are considered invasive in certain areas, as they can outcompete native plants.
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Nitrogen Fixation:Lupines are known to fix nitrogen in the soil, which can benefit other plants in the area.
Where is the best place to plant lupines?
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.
How do you keep lupine blooming?
Water lupine during periods of dry weather. Use an acidifying, phosphorous-heavy fertilizer when planting lupine. Deadhead lupine to encourage continuous flowering.