What to Plant With Lupine

Blue-Hued Flowers

• Many lupines are available with flowers in blue hues, including purple tones. Maries balloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus mariesii) works well in front of lupine clumps. It produces round flowers that resemble balloons before they open into a violet-blue star-shaped blossom. The mounds of gray-green leaves reach 15 to 18 inches tall in USDA zones 4 through 9. “Winky Blue & White” columbine (Aquilegia caerulea “Winky Blue & White”) sends upward-facing blossoms to a height of 12 to 15 inches in USDA zones 3 through 8. This contrasting bicolor flower attracts both hummingbirds and butterflies to the yard.

Red-Toned Blossoms

• Red-toned blossoms go well with red, blue or white lupine varieties. One example is “Cherry Glow” beardtongue (Penstemon x “Cherry Glow”), which grows best in USDA zones 7 through 9, with 3- to 4-foot-tall spikes covered with bright, red trumpet-shaped flowers appearing from spring through summer. “Lipstick” strawberry plant (Fragaria x “Lipstick”) works well in front of a lupine plant, growing only 4 to 6 inches tall. This plant, an evergreen perennial in USDA zones 2 through 8, produces showy red petals surrounding a yellow middle. The flowers produce shiny red fruit when fertilized.

Sunny Yellow Blooms

• Matching yellow lupines with other yellow-flowering plants creates a bright sunny area in the garden. One dwarf plant that works well with lupines is the “Pineapple Popsicle” dwarf poker (Kniphofia “Pineapple Popsicle”), which produces yellow spikes reaching 18 to 26 inches tall. This fast-growing flower attracts hummingbirds to the area from spring through fall in USDA zones 5 through 9. “Rising Sun” tickseed (Coreopsis grandiflora “Rising Sun”), in USDA zones 4 through 9, produces masses of yellow daisylike blossoms with center red rings. This perennial forms clumps 4 feet tall and wide.

White Neutral Flowers

• White is a neutral color that goes with any color of lupine. White flowers seem to glow when viewed in the moonlight, and dark colors stand out more when planted with white flowers. “Cotton Candy” creeping phlox (Phlox subulata “Cotton Candy”) grows well in USDA zones 3 through 8, forming a mat of tiny white blossoms. This North American native reaches 6 inches high and spreads 36 inches wide. “Purity” candytuft (Iberis sempervirens “Purity”) tops the 8- to 10-inch-tall evergreen stems with clusters of small white flowers. In USDA zones 5 to 9, this flower blooms in spring and then again in fall.