With their tall, colorful flower spikes, lupines are eye-catching additions to any garden. If you’re looking to add these stunning perennials to your landscape, you may be wondering – where can I find lupine plants for sale near me?
Luckily, lupines have become quite popular for gardens and cut flowers, so they are readily available from many local and online plant retailers. Here is an overview of where you can find lupine plants growing near you or available for convenient shipping right to your door.
Check Local Garden Centers
Most full-service garden centers and nurseries will carry a selection of lupine plants during the spring and early summer months. Some big box stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot also stock lupine plants seasonally
Shopping for plants at local garden centers allows you to hand pick the specific lupine plants you bring home Inspect them closely for healthy foliage and good root systems Reputable local retailers may also have helpful staff who can provide planting and care recommendations based on your region.
Some things to look for when buying lupines locally:
- Robust, green foliage, free of wilting, spots, or discoloration
- Well-established root systems or mature plants over small starter plugs
- Appearance of buds or flowers beginning to emerge
- Labels with variety names for flower color reference
- Healthy plants not crowded tightly together
Ask about bloom times so you know when to expect flowers. And inquire about which varieties do best in your specific hardiness zone and climate.
Order Lupines Online
Can’t find the lupine variety you want locally? Ordering plants online opens up many more choices without leaving home. Reputable online nurseries ship healthy plants straight to your door.
Many major plant retailers like Bluestone Perennials, Nature Hills Nursery, Breck’s, and GrowJoy offer a wide selection of potted lupine plants that are carefully packaged to arrive in great condition.
Benefits of ordering lupines online include:
- Wider selection of plant varieties and colors
- Ability to order plants not sold locally
- Convenience of plants shipped directly to your home
- Avoid making multiple trips to garden centers
- Read plant growing information and reviews on the retailer’s website
- Ability to order plants outside your local growing season
Be sure to check shipping dates and hardiness zones for online plant purchases. Reputable sellers guarantee living arrival. Your plants may look a bit rumpled after transit but should perk up quickly once planted.
Visit Lupine Farms or Specialty Growers
For the biggest selection of unique and hard-to-find lupine varieties, consider visiting specialty lupine growers. These small operations focus specifically on breeding and producing new types of lupines.
Traveling to a lupine farm allows you to see fields of these flowers growing and select plants while they’re still in the ground. Some specialty lupine growers to look for include:
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Westcountry Nurseries – Known for their Gallery series of short, prolific-blooming lupines. Located in Devon, England.
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LupinesRus – Growers of Russell Lupines found in the northwestern U.S. Offer mail order plants.
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Malcolm’s Lupines – Specialize in wild lupine species native to Maine. Sell seeds and plants by mail order.
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Hazzard’s Perennial Farm – Grow many types of perennials including unique lupine varieties. Located in Ohio, U.S.
Consider Lupine Seeds
If you have patience and proper growing conditions, you may want to start lupines from seeds. This is an affordable option that allows you to grow a whole patch of flowers.
Lupine seeds are often available from catalogs, online seed retailers, and occasionally garden centers. Sources for lupine seeds include:
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American Meadows – Diverse selection of perennial lupine seed mixes ideal for naturalized meadows.
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Bluestone Perennials – Sells individual lupine seed packets for classic species like Russell hybrids along with unusual varieties.
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Burpee – Offers a few annual lupine seed varieties that produce blooms the first year from an early sowing.
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Park Seed – Carries lupine seeds for border plants as well as dwarf “Minarette” hybrids under 12 inches tall.
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Thompson & Morgan – UK-based seed company with many types of Lupinus polyphyllus hybrid seeds.
When buying lupine seeds, avoid wild-collected types and choose reputable growers. This helps conserve rare natural populations. Follow planting instructions carefully for success with seeds.
Time Your Lupine Purchases
Lupines are cool season perennials that bloom in late spring and early summer. They go dormant and die back by midsummer. The ideal time to find plants for sale is during their active spring growth period.
Shop for potted lupines available:
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Spring: Choose plants in bud or early bloom and transplant into garden promptly.
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Fall: Plant fall-dug bare root plants so roots establish before winter.
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Winter: Order dormant plants by mail and store in cool area until spring planting.
If buying dry dormant roots or seeds, time spring plantings about 8-10 weeks before your final spring frost date. This gives lupines a head start on growth and the best chance of blooming that first season.
With so many options, you can easily track down coveted lupine plants for your garden. Grow them near you from small starts or seeds, or have color-rich mature plants delivered right to your planting beds. Time purchases right and soon you’ll enjoy a landscape filled with the vertical spires of lush lupines.
Frequently Asked Questions About Buying Lupines:
What are some tips for buying healthy lupine plants?
When selecting potted lupine plants, look for signs of vigorous growth including:
- Sturdy stems and healthy leafy foliage
- Good root establishment filling the container
- Appearance of flower buds
- No discolored or damaged leaves
- Avoid rootbound or stunted looking plants
Also check labels for variety names and details to ensure you get the flower colors you expect.
Should I buy lupines in bloom or wait until they are just about to bloom?
The ideal stage to buy blooming lupines is when flower buds are formed but still closed. This allows you to enjoy watching them burst open. However, lupines already in full bloom will continue flowering and are fine to plant too. Just avoid lupines that already have faded, dead flowers.
Is it better to plant lupines in spring or fall?
Spring is the easiest time for planting most potted lupine varieties. This allows their roots to establish before summer heat. However, some gardeners also plant lupines successfully in fall. Just be sure they have 6-8 weeks before your first expected frost to become established.
Should I start my own lupines from seed?
You can certainly start lupines from seed to get lots of plants inexpensively. However, they can be tricky and slow to germinate. Many gardeners prefer buying potted plants to skip this step and enjoy flowers sooner. But with patience, starting seeds is rewarding too!
What signs mean my mail order lupines arrived healthy?
Don’t be alarmed if online plants arrive a bit rumpled – they should bounce back! Look for:
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Intact root balls
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No broken stems or major leaf loss
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Leaves may droop but aren’t dried out or crumbling
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Damage is minor and cosmetic only
As long as roots are undamaged, bareroot or potted plants should recover once planted in prepared soil.
When during the year can I find lupines for sale?
In most climates, lupines are sold as potted plants in spring and into early summer while in active growth and bloom. Some nurseries sell field dug plants in fall too. Order dormant roots in winter for spring arrival. Lupine seeds are available year-round.
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Lupine is a fast growing, perennial, nitrogen-fixing wildflower that is native to the Pacific Northwest. We sell two species, Riverbank Lupine and Big-Leaf Lupine.
Lupine has beautiful whorls of blue-purple flowers with pleasant scent. The flower stalks that come back every year can grow up to 3 feet long and are very appealing to native bugs, bees, and butterflies. The purple-tinged palmate leaves are especially beautiful. They spread out in circles around the stems of the leaves and hold dew and raindrops in the middle.
You can make a native meadow ecosystem by planting Lupine with either Great Camas or Common Camas. This will provide food and beauty for you, the native pollinators, and the local wildlife. Everybody wins!.
Lupine grows in open woodlands, streambanks, and meadows throughout the Pacific Northwest – including droughty, steep, gravelly slopes. They are great species to plant in areas that have been disturbed because they help stop erosion, make the soil fertile, and bring back native wildlife.
They prefer full sun and well drained soils but can tolerate partial shade and some winter soil saturation. They are very drought-hardy and rarely need summer watering after initial establishment. As a nitrogen fixer, Lupine is an excellent companion plant. You could grow it under trees that don’t cast a lot of shade, like Oregon White Oak, or in a backyard meadow with other wildflowers and native grasses.
Lupine is very hardy and drought tolerant once established. It is advisable to water them during establishment but once they have taken no summer watering is needed. Consider collecting seeds in the fall and spreading them in early spring. Spreading seeds for a couple of years will help you build a big stand with little work and cost.
Native Range: Rivularis: CA, OR, WA, BC Polyphyllus: WA, OR CA, NV, ID, MO. BC + Upper Northeast United States + Canada.
USDA zones 5–9; Medium level of care required; Medium level of deer resistance; Soil type: dry to moist, well-drained; Water needs: dry, very drought-tolerant after establishment; Self-fertile; Bearing age: not specified; Size at maturity: 2–4 feet; Bloom time: April–June; Harvest time: not specified;
Our policy lasts 30 days. If 30 days have gone by since your purchase, unfortunately we can’t offer you a refund or exchange. You can return an item as long as it is brand new and in the same condition you got it in. It must also be in the original packaging. Gift cards are non-refundable. We will send you an email to let you know that we have received your return once it has been received and inspected. We will also notify you of the approval or rejection of your refund. If you are approved, you will get your refund, and within a certain number of days, a credit will be applied automatically to your credit card or the method of payment you used the first time.
