Silky lupine is a showy and long-lived perennial whose pale purple blooms cover the hillsides in the spring and summer. They are versatile, growing in prairie and open woodland habitats. Plant them in well-drained soil with full sun or light partial shade. 
 
 
 
Unlike the lupine species you commonly find in nurseries, silky lupine grows a substantial taproot to survive summer drought. Because of this taproot, it is important to plant lupines when they are still quite small (transplanting a taproot, especially one folded up in a container, is not ideal). Our young lupines will need some extra TLC when establishing, but they will reward you with effortless blooms year after year. Lupines also form a symbiosis with soil bacteria to fix nitrogen (meaning they fertilize the soil around them).  We innoculate our lupine seeds with the appropriate bacteria strain to give them a head start.