Lupine Facts

Over 300 varieties of lupine plants are found around the world. Belonging to the legume family, lupine plants have the ability to fix nitrogen levels in the soil. Lupine plants are self-seeding ornamental plants with pink, yellow, white, purple and blue flowers.

Characteristics

• Lupine plants grow to heights of between 12 and 26 inches. Leaflets are hairy on the top side, but hairier on the underneath side. Leaves have up to 15 leaflets with an oblong shape. Seeds of the lupine are 1/4 inch in diameter with an irregular shape and creamy white coloring.

History

• According to the University of Purdue, there are over 300 species of Lupinus and some have high levels of a bitter tasting compound known as alkaloids, which sometimes can be toxic. Currently, lupines are grown in Australia, the Mediterranean, Germany and Poland.

Human Food Use

• White lupine contains 10 percent oil and 32 to 38 percent protein. Sweet lupine has been used for making lupine pasta, lupine flour and the hulls have been used for dietary fiber.