Lupin Sunrise is spectacular in the garden and it has a colour-changing trick up its petals (more of that later). Bumblebees are common visitors to these blooms. It’s a great cut flower, fragrant and eye-catching. And it’s an easy-to-grow annual.
🌸 Flowering: summer
📏 Height: to 1m
🌿 Annual
Sow: from March to May. These are best sown where they are going to flower as the roots are easily damaged. Soak the seeds overnight. Space seeds about 25-30cm apart (mark the position) and sow about 6mm deep. Seedlings should emerge in 2-3 weeks. You can sow in individual pots and plant carefully when young to minimise disturbing the roots.
Grow: Lupins hate sitting in soggy soil, they do better with sharp drainage. They like a sunny spot or a bit of partial shade. Once they get going they don’t need much; they may need staking if it’s a windy spot.
Enjoy: these are lovely in a group, and keep an eye on how they change as the flowers mature and the bees work their way around the blooms!
🏡 In your garden
• Coastal gardens
• Cottage and informal gardens
• Flower borders and beds
• Pollinator plantings
• Cutting gardens
✂️ Cut flower
• Fresh vase life of 5 to 7 days
• Cut when the lowest flowers are just starting to open
• Cut early in the morning, trim the stem at a diagonal and quickly place them in water.
🐝 Pollinator friendly
• A good source of pollen for bees that have the weight and muscle!
• Look out for the different species of bumblebees that can manage the flower access.
🎨 Natural dye plant
• Flowers can produce soft greens and muted yellow-greens
• Stalks and leaves can yield warmer shades of yellow, with more earthy tones
• Cotton, linen and hemp will need a tannin bath first, then an alum mordant
• Prepare the dye bath taking care to keep it below boiling, then steep the fabric overnight for the best colour saturation.
💡 Did you know?
Lupin Sunrise has a colour-changing secret. The bright markings on the flowers help guide visiting bees, and as the flowers are visited and mature their colours change, creating a shifting pattern up the flower spike. It's a clever visual signal that helps bees concentrate their efforts on the fresher flowers.
⚠️ CAUTION
Harmful if eaten.
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