What are Lupines?

   Lupines are flowering plants belonging to the legume or pea family. The flowers look something like sweet peas. Many flowers grow on long stems. They may be blue, yellow, white, or rose, and they blossom in May or June. The plants usually grow from three to five feet tall. Some varieties, growing from four to eight feet tall, can be trained to grow on sunny walls or trellises. One variety of lupine is a tree.
   Lupine is from the Latin word Lupinus meaning "wolf." These plants were thought to need a great deal of food. Lupines have deep roots. Seed should be planted in sandy, moist soil.