Lupinus polyphyllus West Country Polar Princess

The Lupin ‘Polar Princess' brings white colour, and its procession of light, to the excellent series of 'West Country'. This new generation lupin combines the qualities: plentiful light-coloured spikes, numerous sturdy floral stems that do not require staking, and good disease resistance. This variety excels in perennial borders, bringing a lot of verticality. While this perennial is not difficult to grow, its requirements are clear; it likes sun and deep, moist soil, but dislikes lime, which causes its beautiful palmate leaves to turn yellow.

It is commonly accepted that Russell hybrid 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, who was passionate about lupins. Since then, other enthusiasts have taken over and devoted themselves to obtaining robust, floriferous, and very reliable varieties. It is in England that the 'West Country' varieties were recently born. Vigorous, floriferous, disease-resistant, with strong floral stems and large spikes of light and bright-coloured flowers, these lupins are excellent garden plants.

The 'Polar Princess' lupin is a bushy and vigorous herbaceous perennial, forming clumps 70 cm (28in) tall when in flower and approximately 55 cm (22in) wide, with rapid growth. In late spring and early summer, in May-June, it displays plentiful spikes, sometimes reaching 50 cm (20in) in length, somewhat stiff but very graphic, densely filled with pea-like flowers measuring 1 to 3 cm (0 to 1in). Initially creamy-white in buds, they open pure white, from the bottom to the top of the spike. The lush and vibrant green foliage distinguishes it from other legumes by its palmate leaves, with a minimum of 5 leaflets radiating from a single petiole. The vegetation disappears in winter and re-emerges in spring.

The 'West Country' hybrid lupins are plants with very good hardiness that spread without aggressiveness and prove to be disease-resistant. Their only weak point is their attraction to gastropods, which will need to be protected against. Perfect in poor, lime-free soils, perennial lupins readily self-seed in suitable gardens. Soften their somewhat stiff silhouettes with plants with rounded curves, such as roses, oriental poppies, in matching colours. They enjoy the company of delphiniums and peonies, creating beautiful low-maintenance borders. In natural areas, associate them with sainfoin, alfalfa, vetches, and grasses. West Country lupins mix very well together, in a blend of pastel, vibrant, or bicoloured tones.