Annuals Dictionary: Lupinus
Pea family
Leguminosae
Loo-pine’us. Lupine . A genus of many species found in North America, South America, and around the Mediterranean; all annuals or perennials except for a tree.
Description
Herbaceous stems, with leaves compound and finger-shaped. Flowers pealike, produced in dense terminal racemes.
How to Grow
The lupines are not heat-resistant and need an early start to get a good show of color. In mild climates, sow seeds in a lightly shaded spot in fall. Where winters are severe, start seeds indoors in peat pots 8-10 weeks before last frost and transplant to garden after danger of frost is past. Seeds are often slow to sprout. Lupines prefer cool weather.
Lupinus subcarnosus
Bluebonnet . 8-10 in. (20-25 cm) high. Flowers in. (13 mm) long, blue, with a white or yellow spot. Tex. Hardy annual.
Lupinus texensis
Texas Bluebonnet . To 12 in. (30 cm) high. Differs from L. subcarnosus most conspicuously in the darker-colored flowers, ¾ in. (19 mm) long. Tex. Hardy annual.