Lupinus perennis
L.
Sundial Lupine
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(c) cassi saari, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) cassi saari, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by cassi saari
iNaturalist· cc-by-sa
(c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman
Description
Lupinus perennis is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It is in flower from June to July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Edible Uses
Seed - cooked. Used as a protein-rich vegetable or savoury dish in any of the ways that cooked beans are used, they can also be roasted or ground into a powder. The seed has a bitter flavour due to the presence of toxic alkaloids, it should be thoroughly leached before being cooked. Seedpods - cooked.
Medicinal Uses
Antiemetic HaemostaticA cold tea made from the leaves has been used to treat nausea and internal haemorrhages.
Known Hazards
The seed of many lupin species contain bitter-tasting toxic alkaloids, though there are often sweet varieties within that species that are completely wholesome. Taste is a very clear indicator. These toxic alkaloids can be leeched out of the seed by soaking it overnight and discarding the soak water. It may also be necessary to change the water once during cooking. Fungal toxins also readily invade the crushed seed and can cause chronic illness.
Distribution
Eastern N. America - Maine and Ontario, west to Minnesota and south to Florida.
Where It Grows
NORTHERN AMERICA: Canada, Ontario (south), United States, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Illinois, Wisconsin, Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia,
Cultivation
An easily grown plant, succeeding in any moderately good soil in a sunny position. Grows well in a poor sandy soil. Requires an acid to neutral soil. Plants are hardy to about -25°c. This species is very susceptible to slug damage. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.
Propagation
Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow in early spring in a greenhouse. Germination should take place within a couple of weeks. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer. It should also be possible to sow the seed outdoors in situ in the middle of spring. It might be necessary to protect this sowing from mice. Division in early March. Difficult. Basal cuttings in April. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.
Other Uses
Nitrogen fixer. A dynamic accumulator gathering minerals or nutrients from the soil and storing them in a more bioavailable form - used as fertilizer or to improve mulch.
