Lupinus (latifolius)

jtrindle USDA NRCS - Corvallis Plant Materials Center 3415 NE Granger Ave Corvallis, Oregon 58413 (541)757-4812 http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/orpmc

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Family Scientific Name:	Fabaceae
Family Common Name:	Legume
Scientific Name:	Lupinus latifolius Lindl. ex J.G. Agardh
Common Name:	broadleaf lupine
Species Code:	LULA4
Ecotype:	Crater Lake at 6,000 to 6,700 ft elev.; Mt Rainier - 3 collections along highways on theeast side of park at elevations of 2,000 to 5,400 ft.
General Distribution:	Washington, Oregon, California - east to Utah and Arizona. In Cascade Mtns, B.C. to Calif.; ranges from subalpine to lowland eleveations.
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	7 or 10" cones
Time To Grow:	5 Months
Target Specifications:	Healthy crowns, root development with some branching (tap-root habit; roots not expected to form a solid "plug")
Propagule Collection:	Seed pods hand-stripped just as they begin to turn brown (ripened seed pods shatter very quickly) ; placed into cloth seed sacks and held in a cool, shaded location until they can be spread out on benches in the poly house to dry. Ripened seed will have a duller, whitish appearance; seed collected too "green" tends to shrivel on drying. Pods contain high levels of moisture initially and these collections need to be handled carefully to keep from overheating during transit. Seed pods were plentiful in most years except for 2 seasons that were exceptionally warm in early spring.
Propagule Processing:	Pods should be spread in a thin layer to dry in an area with good air flow and turned frequently; on paper or cloth to catch seed as it shatters from the drying pods. Small lots can be threshed with a geared-down hammermill; larger lots in a stationary thresher. Threshed lots air-screened with #10 round screen, medium-high air flow. Cleaned seed averaged 38,000 / lb. Germination rates have been quite variable between years as well as lots; ranging from 18% germination plus 3% hard seed to 27% germination with 42% hard seed.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Scarification with a hot water (pour hot tap water over seed a few times and then allow seed to steep in water while it cools) or mechanical scarification in a seed tumbler seems toaid in germination. Even with such treatment, there will be varying levels of hard seed that remains impermeable.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Seeds sown singly into cone-tainers filled with Sunshine #1 soil-less potting mix amended with micromax trace elements, covered with 1/8" soil and placed into greenhouse at moderate temperatures (75 F days / 55 to 60 F nights). Seed can be inoculated with Rhizobium lupini inoculant (Nitragin Corp, Wisconsin, US) at sowing time. Four- inch- deep peat pots have also been used for producing spring transplants if established seedlings can be outplanted within 3 or 4 months.
Establishment Phase:	Germination will be scattered; some seedlings emerging up to 45 days after sowing. During this time, medium is kept moist but good air flow is also important to prevent mildew.
Length of Establishment Phase:	6 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Seedlings fertilized once or twice with Peters' 9-45-15 starter fertilizer at half rate; seedlings need to be watched closely for powdery mildew. Mildew is mostly a problem if leaves are allowed to remain wet over night. Plants moved to an outdoor shade house (50% shadecloth) in May on elevated benches to allow good drainage. By mid-summer, cones may need to be spread out to every other cell in the racks to allow room for leaf / crown growth.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	April to July
Hardening Phase:	no fertilizer after July 1; irrigation intervals lengthened in August and shade cloth removed late August / September for full sun acclimation
Length of Hardening Phase:	6 weeks
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Plants shipped via refrigerated van or in protected, cool boxes in their cones in August / early September to parks for further acclimation prior to outplanting.
Length of Storage:	not recommended to everwinter in pots
Other Comments:	Seed increase trials have also been conducted at PMC (see separate protocol), and direct-reseeding at test plots at Crater Lake and Mt Rainier National Park have shown that seedlings can establish well by fall-sowing into amended plots (addition of organic matter and straw erosion control blanketing). Results of direct seeding also detailed in Lupine seed production protocol. Cones do not store well over winter outdoors at Corvallis; but if needed should be held in a walk - in cooler or other controlled, cold location where they will be sheltered from heavy winter rains. Seed can be stored for several years; some germination will be retained due to presence of "hard seed" as is common for other legumes
References:	Corvallis Plant Materials Center Technical Report: Plants for Woodland and Rangeland Reclamation and Erosion Control 1980 - 1997 (includes Annual Reports to Mount Rainier National Park from 1990 - 1996 Link, Ellen, ed. 1993 Native Plant Propagation Techniques for National Parks Interim Guide; Compiled by Rose Lake Plant Materials Center 7472 Stoll Road East Lansing, MI 48823 Rose, Robin, C.E.C. Chachulski and D. Haase. Propagation of Pacific Northwest Native Plants 1998 Or. State U. Press, Corvallis, Oregon USDA, NRCS. 2001. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.1 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Citation:

Flessner, Theresa R; Trindle, Joan D.C.. 2003. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Lupinus latifolius Lindl. ex J.G. Agardh plants 7 or 10" cones; USDA NRCS - Corvallis Plant Materials Center Corvallis, Oregon. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/21). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.