Plant Library

Lupine Wild Lupinus perennis

Common Name: Lupine, Wild

Botanical Name: Lupinus

Variety: Lupinus perennis

Blossom Color: Purple

Bloom Time: May-Jul

Zone: 3 to 8

Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade

Mature Height: 18 - 24"

Mature Width: 10-18"

Notes: Also known as Sundial Lupine, Wild Lupine blooms exuberantly with racemes of blue and purple flowers. Its beautiful palm-shaped leaves are an additional attraction and a popular choice anywhere with dry, sandy soils. Lupine requires dry, well-drained soils, and will not do well with wetter soils. This legume is the only host plant for the Karner Blue butterfly, an endangered species native to the Great Lakes region. Do not cut back in the fall, the butterfly's eggs overwinter on the dead foliage.