Texas Bluebonnet Lupin

Texas Bluebonnet Lupin (Lupinus texensis) - We were passed along several seeds from an American customer in 2022 and have finally acquired the knack of sowing and growing these lovely plants in our Maritime climate. Adopted as the "State Flower of Texas", they are fairly common along roadsides and in uncultivated pastures throughout the state, thought to have originated on the granite based soils of the Llano Uplift. Flowers are tightly arranged on a terminal spike with a characteristic silvery-white tip. Bluebonnets cannot tolerate poorly drained, clay based soils as we learned from our first year's trial in one of our wettest summers in Nova Scotia. Seeds planted in poorly drained soils will germinate, but plants will never fully develop and often look stunted, eventually dying back. Plants tend to thrive in gravelly, well drained, soil with a ph level on the alkaline side between 6-8. Seeds do benefit from scarification for improved germination, but otherwise easy to grow from seed providing you do not have an overabundance of rainfall. This annual plant grows to a height of 8 to 16 inches, depending on soil conditions and climate. Bluebonnets require 8 hours of direct sun to fully bloom.

*In most Canadian regions, seeds need to be started indoors by mid February to see blooms in the summer months. If you are in BC (zone 7+) the plants may survive as a fall sown winter annuals.  

30 seeds to maturity

Growing Information: Sow 3 mm (⅛") deep in individual pots, as bluebonnets develop a taproot and dislike transplanting. Keep soil lightly moist and provide a cool, sunny growing location. Harden off seedlings and plant outdoors once the danger of hard frost has passed, spacing 20–30 cm (8–12") apart. Grow in full sun and well-drained soil; avoid overwatering. Hardy annual.