Lupins
Lupins are a beautiful flower that you will find in many British gardens. Lupins are a staple of British cottage gardens, famed for both their height and colour. Originally hailing from the Mediterranean they are a perennial that will greet you with a gorgeous display year after year. Not a hugely long-lived perennial expect them to last in a British garden for around 6 years, they can last much longer in perfect conditions, however. They produce a large flowering spike that is full of colour and each plant can have lots of these spikes leading to a fabulous display. They will begin to flower around may and can last well into June. The flowers do go to seed quite quickly but your lupin will continue to produce more and more new spikes. To get the best out of these spikes though it is essential to deadhead the old spikes to give the new ones chance top flourish.
Lupin leaves with water droplets
Are lupins annuals or perennials?
Lupins are perennials, they come back year after year. However they are not hugely long-lived plants, expect them to last for around 6 years. Unlike some perennials, you won’t be able to grow one lupin plant for many years.
What is an annual?
An annual is a plant that lives for a single year. They grow, flower (or fruit!) and then die all within a single growing year. Most common flowering hanging baskets contain lots of annuals, think pansies, marigolds, antirrhinums, petunias etc.
What is a perennial?
A perennial is a plant that comes back year after year. These plants are ones that flower reliably every year. Usually, they get bigger each year. The stems die back over winter, but the roots don’t. Meaning the plant can regenerate the following year.
What is a Biennial?
Sitting in between annuals and perennials are biennial. A biennial takes two years to complete its full life. In the first year, the plant undergoes primary growth, in which its leaves, stems, and roots (vegetative structures) develop. Usually, the plant remains fairly small in this first year and will not flower. The plant will then often go dormant to survive the cold winter months before springing back into life in spring. When spring hits these plants normally come back with a bang. Due to their existing root structure, they grown exceptionally quick and then flower, once flowered they will begin to die as an annual would. There are far fewer biennials than either perennial plants or annual plants.