Lupin Perennials 'Red'

Lupines prefer full sun, at least six hours of direct sunlight on most days, to grow and bloom their best. They can grow in partial shade, but their flowering will be diminished. However, some afternoon shade is ideal in hot climates. If you plant lupines in deep shade, they typically won't flower. A remedy for shady conditions is to trim back neighboring shrubs and trees to allow some sun to hit the lupines.

While lupines don't like soggy soil, which can cause root rot, they prefer regular waterings. Water at least weekly if you haven't gotten rainfall to prevent the soil from drying out.

The roots can also find their own nutrients, they have nodes on them which produce their own nitrogen. Don't feed lupins after their initial feed at planting time, nitrogen based fertilisers will encourage lush green growth which make them more prone to aphid attack. To get the longest flowering period from your lupins, cut off the flower heads when they have died down. The flowers will die from the base of the flower head upwards, the time to dead head them is when two thirds of the flower has died. New, smaller flowers will soon appear extending the flowering season.