Peter Dowdall: How to give lupins the TLC they need to thrive

These shortlived perennials can be tricky, fussy about conditions, and prone to attack from pests and disease

Lupins at Lake Tekapo, South Island, New Zealand. In parts of New Zealand, Lupinus polyphyllus, the species behind many cultivated garden hybrids, is an invasive and spreads rapidly, covering entire riverbanks and roadsides with spectacular, towering spires in blues and purples. File picture

A noxious weed in one country is often a treasured garden gem in another, and believe it or not, lupins fall into this category.

In parts of New Zealand and Northern Europe, Lupinus polyphyllus, the species behind many of our cultivated garden hybrids, is an invasive. In New Zealand’s South Island and in countries like Finland and Sweden, it spreads rapidly, covering entire riverbanks and roadsides with spectacular, towering spires in blues and purples.