Lupinus polyphyllus Chandelier

The  Lupin 'The Chandelier' truly brightens up flower beds with its large yellow inflorescences. This highly floriferous cultivar is a reliable plant, robust and producing magnificent flower spikes in June-July, forming superb bushy clumps with deeply divided, vibrant green leaves. Plant a few 'The Chandelier' plants among blue flowers to quickly and easily create a scene full of freshness. It is a perennial plant that thrives in non-limestone soil, very hardy and really easy to grow in ordinary, even clayey soil.

It is commonly accepted that Russell lupins are hybrids obtained by cross-breeding Lupinus polyphyllus, a perennial plant native to North America, and Lupinus hartwegii, an annual Mexican species. The best of them were patiently selected in the 1930s by a gardener named George Russell, a passionate Lupin enthusiast. Since then, other enthusiasts have taken over and dedicated themselves to producing robust, floriferous, and highly reliable varieties. 'The Chandelier' is one of the most well-known cultivars, a variety that will not disappoint. It is a vigorous, bushy herbaceous perennial plant, forming clumps of 90 cm (35in) in height when in flower and 60 cm (24in) in width, with rapid growth. In late spring and early summer, in June-July, it displays lush spikes, sometimes reaching 50 cm (20in) in length, with a slightly rigid appearance but very graphic, densely filled with pea-like flowers measuring 1 to 3 cm (0 to 1in), ranging in color from butter yellow to golden yellow. Note that the flowers are slightly fragrant. The vibrant and opulent green foliage distinguishes itself from other legumes by its palmate leaves, with at least 5 leaflets radiating from a single petiole.

Hybrid lupins are very hardy plants that spread without aggression and prove resistant to diseases. Their only weakness is their attractiveness to gastropods, which will need to be protected against. Perfect for poor and light soils, but free of limestone, perennial lupins readily self-seed in suitable gardens, providing a profusion of often fragrant spikes in rainbow colours. Use them to add verticality and height to your flower beds and soften their slightly rigid silhouettes with plants with rounded curves, such as roses and oriental poppies, in matching colors. They thrive in the company of hollyhocks, grasses, and peonies, creating beautiful, low-maintenance flower beds.