Let There Be Lupines

Maddie Jo Laughing in the Lupines

In early June, Mercer has a Lupine Festival which celebrates the native Lupine wildflowers and the beginning of the summer tourist season.  We missed it this year, but next year I will be prepared (just as I will be prepared for Midsummer's Eve).

I wanted to plant some Lupines, but I wasn't sure how, when, or what variety.  Here is what I have found out through my Internet research:

Ten Things About Lupines

1. There are over 300 species in the genus Lupinus (L.). They are a member of the Fabaceae family, which is the same family as the pea and bean - more on that later.
2. They are easy to grow from seed and reseed themselves.
3. They will not flower the first summer, but will return each spring from the same roots, forming expanding clumps.
4. Lupines need full sun. They like loose, sandy soil and don't need a lot of water.  They can grow up to four feet tall and attract hummingbirds.
5. To start from seed scarify them and soak overnight.  Pick seed pods when they are dry, but not split.  Put them on a paper plate and dry in a warm place for 2 weeks. Slice the pod open on the seam. Each pod will have 3-4 seeds.
6. The seed and the plant of most varieties are poisonous.
7. Lupines are deer-resistant.  The high alkaloid level results in a bitter taste.
8. Lupines aid soil fertility as they fix nitrogen from the air.
9. Certain varieties are grown as grain legumes.  They are fed to livestock, used in pet food and milled into flour for baking.  This varieties are  white lupine or sweet while lupine (L. albus) and yellow lupine (L. luterus).
10.  Non-edible common varieties include:

      Lupinus perennis - Sundial Wild Lupine

       Lupinus villosus - Lady or Hairy Lupine

       Lupinus plattensis - Blue Bonnet or Nebraska Lupine

       Lupinus polyphyllus - Big Leaf Lupine  

       Russell Hybrids - come in all different colors

The most interesting thing was the lupine flour information.  Evidently there have been experimental crops in Minnesota and Wisconsin, but I couldn't find any sources to buy flour in the United States.  You can buy pasta, supplements, and dog food. There is an Australian company that will ship the flour and seeds to sprout - Irwin Valley. http://www.irwinvalley.com.au/ An informational resource is http://goodgrains.com/lupin_products.htm.

Asher Looking Forward to a Lupine Dog Biscuit