Lupine Flower Symbolism

Lupines are symbolic of imagination. The name "lupinus" actually means "of wolves" due to the mistaken belief that ancient peoples had that lupines robbed the soil of nutrients. The fact is that lupines add nitrogen to the soil. The Romans used lupines for fertilizer and ate the high-protein seeds.

Lupine Flower Distribution

In the United States, lupines grow well in the Pacific Northwest, the West Coast, New England and other northern states. They are both cultivated lowers and wildflowers. Lupines also grow abundantly throughout Europe as far north as Norway.

Other Uses for Lupines

Lupines come in blue, pink, white, yellow and purple. The flowers are useful for dyeing cloth.

The seeds of lupines are said to aid digestion and have been used in skin care for removing spots from the face. The Romans used the flat seeds for theater money.

Interesting Facts About Lupines

Lupines are the only food for the Karner blue butterfly's caterpillar. The larvae crawl up the stems of wild lupines to feed on the new leaves in mid-April.The scent from lupine blossoms is like that of honey, a nice addition to any garden. The magnificent flower spikes can be from 36-60 inches high. Lupines need full sun, rich soil and lots of moisture. They can grow in poor soils if the soil is not too alkaline.

Lupine Photos for Projects and Design

Need photos of lupine? Please visit Dreamstime Stock Photography. Dreamstime is a distinguished leader in stock photography and a major supplier of high quality digital images at unbelievable prices. The Dreamstime database is renewed with thousands of fresh images and titles on a daily basis. See more photos here.

Plant Lupines in Your Garden this Year

Find plants, trees and flowers at Nature Hills Nursery, Inc. Nature Hills Nursery offers one of the largest selections of high quality live plants and related products online, complete with extensive plant information, while maintaining an exceptional level of customer service.

Order Bouquets and Flowers
The extensive FloristOne catalog features flowers for every occasion and an extensive network of florists that allows for same day delivery to nearly all of the United States and Canada. Send a classic gift with special meaning for a birthday, baby's birth, holiday, sympathy, graduation or other special occasion. Nothing else communicates your sentiments quite as well as flowers. See our selection of bouquets and flowers here or go directly to the FloristOne website to see all flowers available.

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See a complete list of symbolism articles on this site.

Reference:
Yeh, Ning. An Album of Chinese Brush Painting: Eighty Paintings and Ideas. Huntington Beach, CA: Ning Yeh's Art Studio, 1986.

Kathleen Karlsen, MA is a professional artist and freelance writer. She is an expert in symbolism, personal growth, design psychology, natural living, and holistic parenting. Kathleen's writing experience includes web content development, article syndication, scriptwriting, books and marketing communications. See Kathleen's art at www.kathleenkarlsenart.com. Contact Kathleen at kathleenkarlsen@msn.com.

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