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Lupinus nootkatensis
Also called Nootka Lupin, Scottish Lupin, Wild Lupin, Alaska Lupine, Alaskan Lupine
Nootka lupine is a hardy perennial wildflower of western North America, valued in cool, wet northern gardens for its spikes of bluish-purple flowers. It is a vigorous self-seeder and is best grown from seed because its long taproot resents transplanting.
Lupinus nootkatensis, the Nootka lupine, is a perennial plant of the genus Lupinus in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is native to North America and was introduced to Europe in the late 18th century. It grows up to 60 cm tall, and has bright bluish-purple flowers.
The Nootka lupine is common on the west coast of North America, and is one of the species from which the garden hybrids are derived, being valued in Britain and other North-European countries for its tolerance of cool, wet summers. In North America, it grows along roadsides, gravel bars, and forest clearings from the Aleutian Islands and Southcentral Alaska, and along the Alaskan panhandle to British Columbia. It is a rigorous self-seeder and can often be seen along roadsides and in open meadows. Their long tap roots make transplanting difficult, so sowing seed is preferable.
A member of the pea family (Fabaceae), lupines form seeds in fuzzy pods that may be attractive to children. The seeds of the lupine can be toxic, though toxins flush through the system quickly and are not cumulative. However, internal use is not advised.
Silver lupine · White Lupin · Lupinus anatolicus · Yellow bush lupine · Miniature lupine · European yellow lupine · Chick Lupine · Tarwi · Bigleaf lupine · Texas bluebonnet · Hollowleaf annual lupine · Texas lupine
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Lupinus nootkatensis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
