line · moderate · mid
Lupine
Lupinus · aka lupin, bluebonnet (US)
The lupine is a vertical spire of pea-shaped florets in an unusually rich colour range — the natural blues and purples rival delphinium at a fraction of the cost. A cottage-garden wedding staple, and the state flower of Texas (Bluebonnet subspecies). Multiple florets open bottom-up over a week.
At a glance
| Family | Fabaceae |
|---|---|
| Origin | North America, Europe; commercially grown Netherlands, UK |
| Peak season | May, June, July |
| Availability | April to August |
| Stem length | 50–100 cm |
| Vase life | 5–10 days |
| Colors | white, cream, pink, coral, red, purple, blue, bicolor |
| Price tier | mid |
Conditioning
Cut on a diagonal, fresh water. Multiple florets open bottom-up over 7-10 days.
Care in the vase
- •Tall vertical spires with dozens of pea-shaped florets
- •Rich colour range including natural blue
- •Nitrogen-fixing plant — good for garden ecology
- •Toxic seeds — keep away from children and pets
Design role & symbolism
Symbolismimagination, voraciousness
Occasionssummer wedding, cottage-garden, tall arrangements
Substitutesdelphinium, snapdragon
summercottage-gardenline-flowercolorful
