Lupin

Lupin (lat. Lupinus) — a genus of annual or perennial plants of the legume family (Fabaceae). The genus comprises about 200 species native to North and South America, Africa and the Mediterranean.

The name comes from the Latin word 'lupus' — wolf, and possibly refers to these plants' ability to survive even in very unfavorable conditions.

Annual, biennial and perennial rhizomatous herbaceous plants, less often subshrubs. Leaves palmately divided, on long pubescent petioles, gathered in a basal rosette; stem leaves are arranged alternately. Flowers in racemes, white, yellow, blue, purple, pink, cream, carmine, red, crimson. Fruit — a pod.

In cultivation:

Many-leaved lupin or perennial - Lupinus polyphyllus

A herbaceous perennial plant up to 100 cm tall and more. In the first year of growth mainly basal rosette leaves develop. In the second year many stems are formed. Young leaflets, flower stalks and calyces have a silvery pubescence. Stems are strong, slightly angled, sparsely pubescent. Leaves consist of 9-10 almost lanceolate leaflets. Leaflets are glabrous or sparsely pubescent above, densely pubescent beneath.
The inflorescence is very long, usually loose. Flowers blue, pink, purple, gathered in many-flowered racemes 30-35 cm long. Blooms in June–July; if spent inflorescences are removed, it blooms again in August. Fruit — a pod. Seeds irregular in shape up to 0.6 cm in diameter, retain viability for 3-4 years.

Has numerous garden forms and cultivars of hybrid origin with both solid-colored and bicolored flowers:

'Абендглют' ('Abendglut') — Plant up to 100 cm tall. Flowers dark red in racemes up to 40 cm long. Blooms from June.

'Альбус' ('Albus') — Plant up to 110 cm tall with white flowers in racemes up to 30 cm long. Blooms from June.

'Априкот' ('Apricot') — Plant up to 90 cm tall with orange flowers in racemes up to 40 cm long. Blooms from mid-June.

'Принцесса Юлиана' ('Prinzess Juliana') — Plant up to 110 cm tall with white-pink flowers, gathered in racemes up to 40 cm long. Blooms from June.

'Розеус' ('Roseus') — Plant with flower stalks up to 110 cm tall. Flowers pink in racemes up to 40 cm long. Blooms from June for 35-40 days.

'Рубинкёниг' ('Rubinkonig') — Plant up to 100 cm tall. Ruby-violet flowers gathered in racemes up to 40 cm long. Blooms from June for 30-35 days.

and others.

Location: prefer well-lit sites, can tolerate some shading.

Soil: undemanding, grow well in any garden soil, but achieve best development on loamy, slightly acidic or slightly alkaline soils. Lupin also grows on sand because nodules develop on its roots in which nitrogen-fixing bacteria accumulate nitrogen. Thus, the plant can do without nitrogen fertilizers.

Care: to maintain decorative appearance and extend lifespan, plants are earthened up (hilled), which promotes the development of lateral roots. However, specimens older than four years are usually replaced because their flowering weakens. Lupin tolerates frosts down to minus 8 °C, but sudden temperature changes in spring and autumn are harmful. To prolong flowering late into the season, cut off withered inflorescences before seeds form.

Propagation: by seed and division, less often by cuttings.