Lupin
Perennial Russell-type lupins raised by transplant won't flower until their second season, so don't expect a display in year one; annual varieties direct-sown give quicker colour. Full sun gives the strongest flower spikes.
- Sun
- full sun
- Water
- moderate
- Spacing
- 30cm
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Grows in
- Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago, Invercargill / Southland
- Mature height
- 1m
- Flowering season
- Jan, Nov, Dec
- Common diseases
- Powdery mildew
- Common pests
- Aphids, Slugs and snails
When to plant by region
In Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Napier / Hawke's Bay: April and September-October. In Hamilton / Waikato, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson and Tasman: April and September. In Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast and Christchurch / Canterbury: March and September. In Dunedin / Otago and Invercargill / Southland: March.
Growing stages
Germination & planting
- Annual varieties can be direct-sown for quicker colour; perennial Russell types are usually raised as transplants
- Space plants around 30cm apart in a full-sun spot for the strongest flower spikes
Establishment
- Watch for aphids and slugs and snails on young growth
- Water moderately while establishing; lupins are nitrogen-fixers that generally cope well with poor soil
Vegetative growth
- Perennial Russell-type lupins raised by transplant won't flower until their second season, so don't expect blooms in year one
- Powdery mildew can appear on foliage, especially in humid or crowded conditions
- Slugs and snails continue to target soft new growth
FloweringNovember to January (from the second season for perennial types)
- Full sun gives the strongest, straightest flower spikes
- Aphids can cluster on flower spikes and buds
Dieback & dormancy
- Perennial types die back over winter and reshoot from the crown the following spring
- Cut back spent flower spikes once blooms fade to tidy plants