Lupinus Albus

White lupin is an ancient Mediterranean crop and a handsome annual ornamental, forming a bushy plant of palmate, blue-green leaves and upright spikes of pea flowers. Despite the name, flowers may range from white and cream to pale blue or deeper blue, followed by stout pods. Nitrogen-fixing roots allow it to grow on relatively poor soil and improve fertility for following plants. The seeds have a long food history only after specialist processing to remove bitter alkaloids; garden seed should be treated as ornamental and kept away from children and pets.