That depends on how you define success. I have managed to grow them and they are beautiful for a short time but melt away quickly as the temperatures rise.

Well, the thing is.. I have wanted them for so long.. and if I have to treat them as annuals or plant every other year that would be okay.. if I were able to have nice foliage in the spring and some blooms. Do you think that would be possible? I know my mom had a purple one survive for a couple of years, it was the only one out of many many seeds we had started. She lost it and the seeds from that plant didn't germinate, so I just got some Russell Hybrids and wondered if it's a lost cause.

In our climate, if you tried them, would you put them in the shade? I think the one my mom had got some shade in the afternoon but I was considering all day shade to keep them cool. And would mulch help the situation?

Thanks! Any advice is appreciated because I really would love to grow these. Would they bloom the first year from seed?

I grew them a long time ago in semi-shade, but I do think they would like dapple shade better. If I remember right they did croak after the hottest part of the summer came, or either I forgot to water. I was very young, I think if you could keep them cool and watered they would be fine. I might just plant some more too, and try mulching them. I wonder if that would make a difference since they have such long tap roots, humm, what 'cha think?
Sorry, don't think I helped that much did I?
:) Fran

Keeping them cool might be the problem.. and you're right, with that long tap root, who knows if mulch would make any difference?

Tell me please.. what would be the difference in semi-shade and dappled shade? I have a problem with definitions regarding sun/shade.

I'm willing to put sand in their soil and keep them well watered. I hear they hate humidity and there's not much we can do about that. I wonder what kind of microclimate might help them. I want them so bad I'm willing to try almost anything.

I had one flower last year. The main plant died back, but seeds sprouted in three areas of our yard. (once in the flower bed and twice in the grass!) Right now we have 2 seedlings that are still alive, but they haven't and probably won't show any signs of blooming this year.

I don't know what their typical behavior is supposed to be for our climate but mine grew with morning sun only. They are full sun plants though. We had about an 80% germination rate using one of those jiffy peat pellet kits. They did bloom the first year and they were full despite the lighting situation but they never did get as tall as they should have and while we did see them again the next year they were not as nice. We ended up demolishing the old and planting more of them the following year so they would look better.

Granted.. That was the first year I ever put a plant in the ground that I grew from seed so there may have been some error on my part regarding their success. So much time has passed since then and I have moved and not attempted to grow them here. I can't seem to find that perfect spot in the yard that provides full sun but shade during the hottest hours of the day.

Dapple shade, if you stand under a shade tree with dapple shade then you will have peeks of sun shining through, not as hot a full sun or semi shade. Which means mostly shade almost all the time, but with enough sun they can get what they need from it.
Semi-shade would be part shade at some point either morning or evening, but still half sun for half of which ever part it receives sun during the day.
I hope that made sense, kind of sleepy, and it is hot as heck so I can't go to sleep yet...
:) Fran

I just sprouted some seeds using the damp paper towel in a baggie method indoors. Tonight I put them in little pots of soil outside... my thinking was that maybe if I kept the seedlings cool in the shade this year that perhaps I could plant them out early in the spring and have them bloom before the heat gets them. I may have started too early though because my plan was to get the seedings going in the cooler weather in the fall.. but I do want them to have time to get going too. I got too excited and started them and they sprouted sooner than I expected. Wish me luck!

Thanks for the information and your experiences. I will have to scout out different parts of the yard to see where they might be able to live. Then I'll say a prayer and probably plan on trying every year until I hopefully get it right. I don't know why I'm so determined to have a plant that is destined to have a hard time here, but I really really want these for some reason.

Nothing wrong with being on a mission. At least it is an opportunity to learn new things.

I hope it is a mission that will eventually be successful ;) If I have enough seedlings I hope to try them in different areas to see what might work.

I really wanted mine too, the last time I tried was about 5 years ago. They died before they even got started. I haven't had any since, although I did buy a pack of seeds for them this year, I am bound and determined to have some next year, even if they don't make it the WHOLE year. They are pretty and I WANT them darn it!!!
I will "will" them to live, LIVE DARN YOU LIVE!!!! And in my little attempt, I am sure to be disappointed yet one more time.
The blue ones will live here, but I DON"T WANT the blue ones, I want all the pretty colored ones!!!
"G", I feel you pain...right there with yah GF! I understand this strange fixation you have with these beauties!
(and now I am REALLY going to bed)
;) Fran

Here is a link that has tons of information regarding how Lupine germinates and grows under varying conditions. There is other information in there regarding fire ecology that may or may not be of interest but if you can stay awake through the biological characteristics(reads like a technical manual lol) section there is a lot of valuable information in there.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lots of Lupine Info

aezarien - that is an interesting read. Thanks for the information.

I grow a few things in my garden that are not supposed to grow here - Delphiniums, Globe Artichokes, Rhubarb. In each case I tried lots of places in the yard and lots of different techniques before getting to where I am today (eating rhubarb pie while collecting seeds from my delphiniums without tripping over my artichokes, the first flush of 'chokes having long been eaten). My secret is to dig a deep trench and fill it with the best soil you can make or buy in a bag. They all like deep rich soil with a bit of sand in it for drainage. No clay within many feet of their roots. Think black potting soil three feet deep. My garden has mostly morning sun with bright shade after 2pm and full shade by 5 this time of year. So full sun only in the middle of the day. I plant them in the fall or early in the spring and baby them through their first winter if we have one.

I grew Russels Lupines one year. They sprouted just fine and grew well but were a bit shorter than I remembered them from back home. I babied them through TWO winters before they ever bloomed!! They were stunted and the stalks only lasted like one or two days - not really worth all the effort. Other gardeners have had better luck. You can usually find seedlings for sale at Logans (downtown Raleigh) in late February or early March.

I didn't realize delphiniums weren't supposed to grow here... wow.. my cottage garden theme is getting whittled to the bone. I suppose poppies are going to be difficult as well?

Oriental poppies yes. Other poppies are fine. And there's a ton of stuff you can grow in a cottage garden here! :)

An article that you might enjoy from another with lupine frustration:

Here is a link that might be useful: after giving up on lupine, baptisia to the rescue