Lupines--really toxic!

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anneshirley
anneshirley Member Posts: 1,110
edited June 2014 in Life After Breast Cancer

Sorry about this gardening question, but I'm sure someone on the board knows the answer.  I cut about 20 lupine plants that have gone to pod (from a field--owner said it was ok) with intention of dropping them around our fence in the back.  A local florist said this is how she does it and they self seed. .

 However, in looking up Lupine via Google, I found a number of sites that say Lupines are toxic? And in some cases seriously toxic and can kill. Now I'm a bit nervous about putting them around yard.  They're everywhere here in downeast Maine so I'm rather surprised about toxicity, and no one I've spoken to about them has said anything, but I don't want to poison any of the local animals.  Our neighbor has a cat that comes into our yard all the time.  Our cats are house bound and we only let them out in front yard (where I'm not planting), so they should be ok.  Anyone with adivce; it would be much appreciated.

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  • AlaskaDeb
    AlaskaDeb Member Posts: 2,601
    edited July 2008

    Animals usually know not to eat toxic plants.  We have lupine growing wild in the pasture my neighbor's horses use, and they leave them alone.  With all the wild animals here I have, I have never heard of one eating lupine and getting sick.

    I would say plant them, they are beautiful!

    Deb C

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  • Isabella4
    Isabella4 Member Posts: 2,166
    edited July 2008

    I have a lot of lupins growing in my garden, also lots of cats and dogs flashing about all day, they never touch them, apart from sometimes bashing them over just when they're at their best !

    My lupins all self seed, if I see a corner where there aren't many I throw seed pods down, and never give it a thought that they may be harmful.

    Somewhere in the back of my mind something tells me that they could be toxic, but I can't remember what it was !! I would think a lot of garden plants are non too safe.

    My dogs wouldn't sit and chew them, neither would the cats. I grow lots of giant catmint for the cats, and thats about all they bother with.  Go ahead and plant, I say. 

    Isabella.

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  • anneshirley
    anneshirley Member Posts: 1,110
    edited July 2008

    thank you both.  I went to a social this afternoon (lots of folks who know about flowers) and they all said the same--don't worry.  I dropped the actually plants (stalk and all) all along the fence  line.  However, one neighbor said I should wait until the pods are brown.  They are still green and velvety.  Do you think I should pick some more when the pods are brown and put those down as well. 

    Thanks. 

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  • iodine
    iodine Member Posts: 4,289
    edited July 2008

    If they are available to you, yes, throwing down the dried ones is great.

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  • AlaskaDeb
    AlaskaDeb Member Posts: 2,601
    edited July 2008

    Sometimes the seeds are not ripe if you pick them green.  If they are dried you will know they are ripe.  The green ones might be ripe enough, but if you can get some more that are dried, I would.  You can also insure more of them will grow if you take a rake and rough up the soil where you scatter then and maybe throw a bit of soil over the top, just a dusting...

    Good Luck

    Deb C

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  • anneshirley
    anneshirley Member Posts: 1,110
    edited July 2008

    Thanks--actually I threw the whole plant with pods attached on the ground--that is, I didn't remove the seeds, assuming that the pod surround will fall off when it dires and the seeds will then create new plants.  Is that possible, or must I actually remove the seeds. 

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  • otter
    otter Member Posts: 6,099
    edited July 2008

    Anneshirley, I'm so far from being a botanist that it's scary, but...  I think for some plants, if you cut them too early, the seeds never mature.  The pods have to stay attached to the plant, and the plant has to keep growing, in order for the seeds to develop completely.

    I don't know much about lupines, though, except that I learned about them in my Toxic Plants course 27 years ago.  They grow in much cooler places than where I live.  (They grow in the types of places I like to visit!)

    otter 

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  • wishiwere
    wishiwere Member Posts: 3,793
    edited July 2008

    Anneshirley?  Do you mean you threw the pods with the stalks they grow on, onto the ground?  And the pods were green?  It's likely they won't grow. IF you can get some when they have browned up, the seeds will be mature as mentioned.  You can then either scatter the pods, or open the pods and scatter the seeds directly, then as Deb says, just likely rake them into the soil a 1/2 inch or so.  Water them in, if you like and hope for plants to grow. 

    If you meant you are pulling up the entire plant like a weed, then dear...they won't like that at all, at all.  I've been told first year plants can be transplanted, but not after that.  I've never tried as they grow in the old wildflower garden and I just let them reseed as others do. If you need, you can wrap an old stocking toe around the pods on the plants stalks and that will ensure the pods don't open before you get to them, and disperse themselves.

    Being perennials, they most likely won't produce flowers till the second year, but...you might get lucky! :)  Can you find some small first year plants and transplant them?

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  • anneshirley
    anneshirley Member Posts: 1,110
    edited July 2008

    Thanks again.  Yes I threw the pods attached to the stalks on the ground.  Now that I know that's not the way to do it I'll gather some stalks when the pods are brown and remove the seeds and try again.  I hope I'll get flowers next spring, but if not . . . Oh, well.

     But thanks for answering.  I think I misunderstood the person who told me to throw the stalks on the ground.  Hopefully, as she's a florist. 

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  • anneshirley
    anneshirley Member Posts: 1,110
    edited August 2008

    Just wanted to say I followed the good advice you all gave.  Yesterday, I gathered a bunch of dried lupine and found it very easy to take the seeds out.  Tomorrow I plan to rake them into our garden, although I read up some more and apparently they won't flower for two years, but that's okay.  Glad I put my questions on the board or two years from now I would have been very disappoingted.  So thanks again.

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  • kaitlinosborne
    kaitlinosborne Member Posts: 9
    edited August 2008

    Anneshirley, I live in South China, Maine. I love lupines, they grow everywhere around here so I wouldn't worry about animals eating them. Animals must just avoid them. We cut a bunch of wild ones around my aunts house for my wedding this past june. They were beautiful!

    Take care,

    Kaitlin

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  • anneshirley
    anneshirley Member Posts: 1,110
    edited August 2008

    Kaitlin, Where is South China in relationship to Machias or Ellsworth?  I love lupines and I'm sure you looked wonderful carrying them for your wedding.  I wonder why Maine has so many, yet I rarely saw them in upstate New York at least not wild.  Must be the soil.

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  • Poppy
    Poppy Member Posts: 405
    edited August 2008

    Every time I think of lupins I think of that Monty Python skit where "Dennis" stole lupins from the rich and gave them to the poor. The poor kinda wanted food or money though... lol

    Erica 

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  • anneshirley
    anneshirley Member Posts: 1,110
    edited August 2008

    Poppy--I don't remember that one.  I'll have to look out for it.  My favorite is still the one with the two char ladies discussing John Paul Sartre.

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