Masterpiece Lupin

• Variety: Masterpiece
• Latin name: Lupinus polyphyllus 'Masterpiece'
• Type: Hardy herbaceous perennial
• Flower: Intense wine-purple with an orange fleck at the base
• Height: 75–100cm
• Spread: 65–75cm
• Flowering: Late May to August (with deadheading)
• Scent: Lightly fragrant
• Hardiness: Fully hardy (H5)
• Series: Westcountry. Bred in Devon. PBR protected
• Sold as: P9 and 2-litre pot-grown plants, grown on by us
• Plant outdoors: Spring or autumn
• Delivered: Spring and autumn. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Masterpiece Lupin – Chelsea Purple

Masterpiece is the lupin that keeps turning up at Chelsea. Chris Beardshaw has used it in his show gardens, it's appeared behind BBC presenters on live coverage, and it won gold as part of the Westcountry Nurseries display four times. None of that would matter if it didn't perform in an ordinary garden, but it does. The spikes are an intense wine-purple, almost plum, with a tiny flash of orange at the base of each petal that you only notice close up. From a distance, the effect is a solid column of deep purple.

It's one of the earliest lupins to flower, often starting in late May when most perennials are still thinking about it. That early start gives it a useful role in the border. It fills the gap between late spring bulbs and the main summer show. The plant is sturdy and self-supporting, reaching up to a metre in good soil. Deadhead the spent spikes promptly and you'll usually get a smaller second flush in July or August.

First to Flower

Among the Westcountry series, Masterpiece is consistently one of the first to open, alongside Red Rum. Sarah Conibear at Westcountry Nurseries (who bred the entire range in North Devon) notes this as a deliberate selection trait. An early lupin extends the overall display when you plant several varieties together: Masterpiece and Red Rum open first, followed by Manhattan Lights, with Polar Princess last. That gives you a staggered display from late May through July without planting anything else.

Planting Companions

Deep purple wants contrast. Polar Princess in pure white makes the strongest pairing: plant them in alternating drifts of three and the border looks like it was designed by someone who knows what they're doing. For a warmer scheme, the burnt-orange of dahlias picks up that tiny orange fleck in Masterpiece's petals; the dahlias take over as the lupins finish. Lavender at the front extends the purple theme into late summer, and catmint (Nepeta) does the same job more informally.

Why buy from Ashridge?

Masterpiece is PBR-protected, which means it can only be propagated under licence. We buy in young plants from licensed growers and grow them on in peat-free compost with biological pest controls. No neonicotinoids. By the time a plant reaches you, it's established and ready to go into the ground. Every plant carries our guarantee, and if anything goes wrong the team in Castle Cary will sort it out. Browse the full perennial range.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do Masterpiece lupins flower?

Late May to June for the main flush, which is earlier than most lupins. If you deadhead the spent spikes promptly, cutting the stem to just above the foliage, you'll often get a smaller second flush in July or August. The total display period can be two months or more in a good year.

Do Masterpiece lupins need staking?

No. The Westcountry series was bred for garden performance, not the show bench, so the stems are thick and self-supporting. Even after heavy rain the spikes stay upright. If your soil is very rich and the growth is particularly lush, the odd stem might lean, but it won't collapse the way old Russell hybrids used to.

Can I grow Masterpiece lupins from seed?

You shouldn't. Masterpiece is PBR-protected and propagating it, including from seed, is illegal without a licence. Even if it weren't, lupin seedlings almost never come true to the parent. You'd get a random mix of colours, mostly reverting to blue or purple without the distinctive wine tone or the orange fleck. The whole point of tissue-cultured plants is that every one is identical to the original selection.

How do I deadhead lupins?

Cut the spent flower spike back to just above the first set of leaves below the spike. Don't cut the whole plant to the ground. The foliage is still feeding the roots. A clean, angled cut is best. The plant will usually send up smaller secondary spikes from lower down the stem, extending the display by several weeks.

Why isn't my Masterpiece lupin flowering?

The usual cause is too much shade. Lupins need full sun to flower freely. In partial shade they produce plenty of handsome foliage but few spikes. The second most common cause is overly rich soil: lupins fix their own nitrogen, so additional feeding (especially high-nitrogen fertiliser) encourages leaf growth at the expense of flowers. Poor drainage and waterlogged roots can also suppress flowering. Move it to a sunnier, leaner spot and it should perform next year.