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Wild / Sundial Lupine (Lupinus perennis) | $12.99 | 4-inch pot
🌿 Quick Facts: • Native Status: Native to eastern North America (an eastern species — see soil note) • USDA Growing Zones: 3-8 • Height: 12-24 inches • Spread: 10-18 inches
🌺 Bloom Details: • Season: Mid to late spring • Colors: Blue to blue-violet, often bicolored • Flower Type: Upright racemes of pea-like flowers over palmate 'sundial' leaves • Bloom Period: April-July
☀️ Growing Requirements: • Sun: Full sun to part shade • Water: Low to moderate — dry to medium, never wet • Soil: Prefers sandy, infertile, sharply drained, ACIDIC to neutral soil (pH under 7.2); struggles in alkaline clay • Spacing: 12-18 inches apart
🦋 Pollinator Benefits: • Birds: Seeds eaten by birds; foliage gives ground cover • Native Bees: Excellent — special value to bumble bees, which trip the keel flowers • Butterflies: Larval host for frosted elfin and blues; nectar source • Beneficial Insects: Nitrogen-fixing legume; extrafloral nectar draws predatory insects
🌱 Plant Care: • Spring: Cut back old stems; never fertilize; do not disturb the taproot • Summer: Let pods ripen; may go semi-dormant in heat — don't overwater • Fall: Sow seed in place rather than transplanting • Winter: Fully dormant; leave undisturbed, no wet mulch
🤝 Companion Planting: • Perfect paired with:
✨ Unique Characteristics: • Iconic sundial-shaped palmate foliage • Nitrogen-fixer that improves lean soil • Sky-blue spring spikes • Best in sandy, acidic, amended beds • Note: seeds and foliage are toxic if eaten