Lupinus polyphyllus West Country Salmon Star

The Lupin ‘Salmon Star', from the excellent 'West Country' series, brings a rare colour, a very soft pink mixed with yellow that flatters and enhances any landscape composition. The plump spikes of this variety appear from the beginning of summer, abundantly and carried by strong stems that do not need staking. This new generation lupin is undoubtedly a centerpiece for gardens of all styles, English, romantic or even extravagant.

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, a lupin enthusiast. Since then, other enthusiasts have taken over and dedicated themselves to obtaining robust, floriferous and very reliable varieties. It is in England that the 'West Country' varieties were born, very recently. Vigorous, disease-resistant, with strong floral stems and large spikes of light and vibrant coloured flowers, these lupins are excellent garden plants.

The 'Salmon Star' lupin is a bushy and vigorous herbaceous perennial, quickly forming clumps of 50 to 60 cm (20 to 24in) in height when in bloom and 50 cm (20in) in width within 3 to 4 years. In late spring and early summer, in May-June, it displays plump spikes, sometimes reaching 50 cm (20in) in length, with a slightly stiff but very graphic appearance, densely filled with pea-like flowers measuring 1 to 3 cm (0 to 1in). The fully opened flowers are a soft coppery salmon pink, while the buds are tinted creamy yellow. They open from the bottom to the top of the spike, creating an elegant gradient of colours. The foliage, a fairly dark matte green, is well supplied and stands out from other legumes with its palmate leaves, with at least 5 leaflets radiating from a single petiole. The vegetation disappears in winter and regrows in spring.

The 'West Country' hybrid lupins are plants with very good hardiness that spread without aggression and prove resistant to diseases. Their only weakness is the attraction they exert towards slugs and snails, which will need to be protected against. Perfect in poor soils, but devoid of limestone, perennial lupins readily self-seed in gardens that suit them. Soften their slightly stiff silhouettes with plants with rounded curves, such as roses and oriental poppies, in matching colours. They thrive in the company of hollyhocks and peonies, composing lovely low-maintenance borders. In natural areas, associate them with sainfoin, alfalfa, perennial peas, and grasses. The 'Salmon Star' variety pairs well with the 'West Country' lupins 'Polar Princess', with white flowers, and 'Towering Inferno', with red-orange flowers speckled with yellow.