Lupine (Lupinus 'Manhattan Lights')
Lupinus 'Manhattan Lights' Lupine offers showy, fragrant purple and yellow spikes in USDA Zones 4-9. Requires medium water and full sun.
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Lupinus ‘Manhattan Lights’ is a highly sought-after hybrid Lupine celebrated for its robust, upright flower spikes showcasing striking dark maroon-purple and yellow bicolor blooms. As a classic cottage garden favorite, this herbaceous perennial brings vertical accent and powerful visual impact to the spring and early summer landscape. Gardeners value the dense racemes of sweetly scented, pea-like flowers which stand tall above the grey-green, palmately compound foliage.
While beautiful, this cultivar thrives best in cooler climates, flourishing across much of the northern U.S., Canada, and the Pacific Northwest. In warmer regions (USDA Zones 7-9), Lupinus ‘Manhattan Lights’ often performs better when treated as a short-lived annual due to intolerance for high summer heat and humidity. Proper cultural care, focusing on excellent drainage and sunny placement, is essential for maximizing the lifespan and bloom quality of your Lupine.
These stunning floral displays make the Lupine an excellent choice for mass plantings where striking color contrast is desired. For sustained vigor and to encourage repeat flowering, deadheading is recommended, though gardeners should be aware that hybrid lupines will not reliably grow true to type if allowed to self-seed naturally.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Fabaceae
- Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 4-9
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 2.5-3 ft
- Spread: 1.5-2 ft
- Bloom Time: May to July
- Bloom Description: Purple and yellow biclor
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Medium
How to Grow
Plant Lupinus ‘Manhattan Lights’ where it receives full sun for the best flowering performance; however, providing light afternoon shade is beneficial in extremely hot summer locations. The soil must be organically rich, evenly moist, and importantly, well-drained with a slightly acidic pH. Since lupines resent root disturbance, purchase potted starts in the spring rather than attempting to transplant established seedlings.
Watering should maintain consistently moist soil conditions; the medium requirement reflects the need to avoid drying out completely, which stresses these typically shallow-rooted plants. Good air circulation is crucial to preventing powdery mildew, a common issue. In cooler climates, where they naturalize well, apply mulch to help keep the root zones cool during the summer months.
Deadhead spent flower spikes promptly after blooming concludes. This practice not only maintains an attractive appearance but diverts energy back into the plant, encouraging better plant vigor and potentially a second round of fewer blooms later in the season. Be aware that even under ideal conditions, most hybrid lupines are relatively short-lived perennials, often persisting for only 2 to 5 years.
Landscape Uses
Lupinus ‘Manhattan Lights’ is ideally suited for creating bold visual statements in the garden. Its upright form and brilliant coloring make it an excellent candidate for beds and borders where vertical interest is needed among lower-growing plants. This cultivar is particularly effective when naturalized in large drifts, allowing the massed bicolor spikes to create a dramatic sweep of color from late spring through mid-summer.
Incorporating this Lupine into cottage garden designs pairs beautifully with complementary textures like airy Salvias or sturdy Peonies. Because the flower spikes are sturdy and provide exceptional, fragrant cuts, grouping them near cutting gardens ensures easy access for bouquets. While they dislike heat, their performance in cool summer regions allows them to anchor perennial borders effectively against background shrubs.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
- Fragrant
- Good Cut
Noteworthy Characteristics
Many ornamental hybrid lupines, including the Russell Hybrids from which this cultivar descends, were developed to provide garden color superior to that of wild lupine species. Lupinus ‘Manhattan Lights’ features sturdy, upright racemes, reaching up to 3 feet tall, packed densely with sweetly scented, pea-like flowers displaying dark maroon-purple and yellow bicolors. These beautiful spikes rise from basal clumps of attractive, palmately compound, grey-green leaves, making it a standout perennial in cool summer landscapes.
Tolerances
- Rabbit
- Deer
Potential Problems
Slugs and snails pose a threat, especially to young Lupinus ‘Manhattan Lights’ plants, so protecting new growth with vigilant monitoring or appropriate barriers is necessary. During periods of high humidity or poor air movement, powdery mildew and aphids can become significant problems, sometimes requiring hard cutting back to control outbreaks. Gardeners should also watch for lesser issues like rust, stem rot, and damping off, all signs that soil drainage, air circulation, or watering practices may need adjustment for the well-being of the Lupine. Due to their height, staking taller individuals might be required to prevent stem breakage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Lupine suitable for?
Lupinus ‘Manhattan Lights’ is generally suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 9, though performance declines significantly in the warmer end of this range.
How large does Lupinus ‘Manhattan Lights’ grow?
Mature plants typically reach a height of 2.5 to 3 feet tall and spread between 1.5 to 2 feet wide, forming substantial clumps.
When does Lupinus ‘Manhattan Lights’ bloom?
This beautiful Lupine variety blooms from May through July, presenting dense spikes of purple and yellow bicolor flowers.
What sun exposure does Lupine need?
Lupinus ‘Manhattan Lights’ requires full sun exposure for optimal flowering, though a little afternoon protection is appreciated in very hot summer climates.
Conclusion
The inclusion of Lupinus ‘Manhattan Lights’ guarantees dramatic vertical interest and superb fragrance in the spring garden palette, particularly in cooler regions where this bicolor Lupine truly excels. Pay close attention to soil drainage and air circulation to extend the life of this spectacular perennial. Before planting, confirm your local conditions align with USDA Zones 4-9, and plan to deadhead spent spikes to encourage continued floral performance.
Companion Planting
When planning borders for Lupinus ‘Manhattan Lights’, choose companions that enjoy similar cultural needs—full sun and medium moisture—but offer contrasting textures or bloom times. Silver-leaved Lamb’s Ears (Stachys byzantina) makes an excellent ground cover near the base, which helps shade the roots and keep them cool, mirroring the required mulch application. Tall, airy perennials like Veronica or taller ornamental grasses work well to frame the structured spikes of the Lupine without competing directly for light.
Propagation Tips
While hybrid lupines are often purchased as container stock, they can theoretically be grown from seed obtained from reputable suppliers, though they will not come true to type. Propagating established, well-performing plants is best achieved through cuttings taken in the early spring before significant new growth begins. Treating the roots with a legume inoculant before transplanting or sowing seed is a recommended best practice to enhance nitrogen fixation and overall plant performance.
