Lupinus polyphyllus West Country Tequila Flame

The Lupin 'Tequilla Flame' is one of the best varieties of the excellent 'West Country' series. With vigorous growth, very floriferous, and spared from diseases, this new generation lupin bears spikes of bicolored flowers, in a warm combination of red-pink and soft yellow. This early, generous, and prolonged flowering is carried by strong stems that withstand inclement weather. Its tall torches, echoing the bright June sun, bring verticality to perennial borders and are perfect for bouquets. Give this robust perennial a sunny exposure and a deep, cool, limestone-free soil, or its beautiful palmate leaves may turn yellow.

It is commonly accepted that Russell hybrid lupins are hybrids obtained by crossing Lupinus polyphyllus, a perennial plant native to North America, and Lupinus hartwegii, an annual Mexican species. The best of them were patiently selected in the 1930s by a gardener named George Russell, who was passionate about lupins. Since then, other enthusiasts have taken over and dedicated themselves to obtaining robust, floriferous, and very reliable varieties. It is in England that the 'West Country' varieties were recently born. Vigorous, resistant to diseases, with strong flower stems and large spikes of light and vibrant colored flowers, these lupins are excellent garden plants. All these plants belong to the Fabaceae family.

The 'Tequila Flame' lupin is a bushy and vigorous herbaceous perennial, forming clumps of about 60-70 cm (24-28in) in height when in flower and about 50 cm (20in) wide in the space of 3-4 years. In late spring and early summer, in May-June, it displays plump spikes, sometimes reaching 50 cm (20in) in length, with a somewhat stiff but very graphic appearance, densely covered with pea flowers measuring 1 to 3 cm (0 to 1in). Half of them are a rich and intense red-pink, while the others are variegated with red and soft yellow. The floral buds, white-pink in color, open from the base of the spike towards its tip. The nectar-rich lupin flowers attract many pollinating insects. The lush foliage, with a vibrant green color, distinguishes itself from other Fabaceae plants with its palmate leaves, each with at least 5 leaflets radiating from the same petiole. The vegetation disappears in winter and reappears in spring.

The 'West Country' hybrid lupins are plants with very good hardiness that spread without aggression and prove resistant to diseases. Their only weakness is their attractiveness to slugs and snails, which will need to be protected against. Perfect in poor soils, but devoid of limestone, perennial lupins readily self-seed in suitable gardens and provide a good source of food for bees and butterflies. Soften their somewhat stiff silhouettes with plants with rounded curves, such as roses and oriental poppies, in matching colours. They thrive in the company of hollyhocks and peonies, creating beautiful low-maintenance borders. In natural areas, associate them with sainfoin, alfalfa, perennial peas, and grasses. This 'West Country Tequila Flame' variety pairs particularly well with the 'Red Rum' and 'Polar Princess' lupins, in red and white.