The Governor Lupin Plants

Lupin The Governor

Create early summer interest in your borders with The Governor's vivid blue flowers with contrasting white standard petals. Flowering in a period when many other border stalwarts are yet to get going, The Governor takes over from spring bulb displays to bring reliable and colourful cheer to the garden throughout late spring and early summer.

Browse our other lupin varieties or all our perennial plants.

Great in your Garden

This striking lupin combines architectural splendour with a cottage garden charm, making The Governor equally at home amongst other traditional favourites like aquilegia and geraniums, or planted en masse in more contemporary schemes with box, bronze fennel and alliums. Whilst the vertical stems of vibrant blue flowers catch the eye and create movement in the border, The Governor's soft mounds of large, palmate leaves also play an important role as ground cover, creating the impression that the flower spikes are rising from a sea of green.

Deadhead faded flower spikes to encourage new growth of flowers in early autumn. Remove any untidy foliage during the summer.

Features

• Colour: Blue and white bicolored pea-like flowers
• Flowering: June - July
• Foliage: Mounds of mid-green large palmate leaves
• Cutting: Yes
• Attractive to Pollinators: Yes
• Height: 90cm
• Spread: 75cm
• Position: Full sun or partial shade
• Soil: Light moist but well-drained, acid to neutral soil

Wolf Flower

The genus Lupinus derives from the Latin for wolf (lupus). Thought to originate from an early belief that some species of lupin devoured the nutrients of the land due to their abundance, the opposite is actually true. In fact, lupins are extremely useful nitrogen-fixers and for this reason, the plant was introduced into northern Europe in the late 1700s in order to improve soil conditions.

Plant out The Governor Lupins in a sunny or semi-shaded spot, in well-drained soil, as lupins dislike clay soils that become wet in winter. Water regularly until established. Protect young plants from slugs and snails.

Water during dry periods to prevent mildew. Feed with a general-purpose fertiliser in spring.

Deadhead faded blooms to encourage more flower spikes in early autumn. Stake plants in spring before flowers appear. Propagation works best from seed (which does not come true) or basal cuttings.