Westcountry Red Rum Lupine

Light Needs

Partial Sun to Full Sun

(At Least 5 Hours of Direct Sunlight)

Mature Height

2-3 Feet

Mature Spread

2 Feet

Growing Zones

3 to 9

The deep red flowers spikes of Westcountry Red Rum Lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus) rise nearly 3 feet from the ground, making a bold statement for people, butterflies, and hummingbirds alike. This stunning flower looks like it belongs in an open meadow, but it’s just as at home in a garden bed, border, container, or as a mass planting for the full red meadow effect on a hill or open area.

The red flowers show a subtle fleck of white for even more interest above the green foliage. Deer resist lupines, which leaves plenty of red flowers to cut for indoor arrangements. These flowers will shine just about anywhere, so if you can have only one lupine, put it in a focal spot of the garden or as a large container’s thriller. Red Rum should grow as a perennial in zones 3 through 9.

Westcountry Red Rum Lupine Care

Lupines are wildflowers native to the United States, and this hybrid boasts all their beauty and adaptability, plus some extra height and drama. It’s an easy plant to care for, especially considering the statement it makes in a garden. Place your lupine in a spot that gets mostly sun, nearly 6 hours a day or more.

Be sure the ground or container for the lupine drains well. Lupines need consistent watering, but should not sit in soggy soil. Adding some organic matter to the hole at planting time helps ensure good drainage. Top-dressing the plant with some compost around the root zone (and not too close to the crown) is the only fertilizer lupines typically need. To extend bloom time, deadhead fading flowers.

Westcountry Red Rum Lupine Spacing

For a mass planting, group several Red Rums together, especially on a slope. Space the plants about 2 feet apart from the center of each plant to account for their mature size.