Chandelier Lupine is a hardy perennial that brings towering elegance to gardens across zones 4 through 8. This open-pollinated cultivar of Lupinus polyphyllus grows 24 to 40 inches tall and produces dramatic flower spikes prized by florists and garden designers alike. Sown indoors 4 to 8 weeks before planting out, seedlings develop strong taproots that establish long-lived, low-maintenance plants capable of thriving in partial shade. With 150 to 190 days from seed to bloom, timing a spring transplant ensures spectacular flowers by mid to late summer.
Partial Shade
Moderate
4-8
40in H x ?in W
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Moderate
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Chandelier Lupine earns its name from the cascading arrangement of blooms along tall, architectural spikes that command attention in any garden bed or cutting garden. Johnny's Selected Seeds notes this is a hardy, long-lived perennial that demands far less fussing than its delicate appearance suggests. The variety tolerates light frost even as a seedling, meaning gardeners can transplant earlier in spring than most flowers allow. By the time roughly 80 percent of the blooms on each spike have opened, you've got bouquets ready for cutting that will hold their impact both in the garden and indoors.
Chandelier Lupine shines as a cut flower, where the dramatic vertical spikes add height and structure to fresh arrangements. The partially open flower spikes can be harvested when about 80 percent of the blooms have opened, extending their vase life and visual impact indoors.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Sow seeds 4 to 8 weeks before your intended planting-out date in deep cell trays such as 50-cell Deep or 32-cell models to accommodate the lupine's substantial taproot development. Shallow cell trays like 50-cell or 72-cell can work if you transplant promptly and do not delay. Thin seedlings to one plant per cell when the first true leaves appear. Seedlings tolerate light frost, so they can be hardened off and moved outdoors earlier than many tender annuals.
Harden off seedlings before transplanting outdoors after the last frost date. Space plants 18 inches apart in partial shade with well-draining soil. Transplanting should not be delayed once seedlings are established, as restricted root development produces weaker plants.
Cut flower spikes when approximately 80 percent of the blooms along the spike have opened. This timing provides a long vase life and allows the remaining buds to continue opening indoors.
Deadhead spent flower spikes to encourage the plant to produce additional smaller blooms later in the season and to maintain a tidy appearance in the garden.
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