I have some lupins that started off with pale yellow flowers & then gradually changed to a purple colour as the flowers aged over a period of a couple of weeks. Is this common?
Hi Lyn, The plant is from a packet of Russel Lupins that I grew a couple of years ago. I do not remember them doing the colour change during last years flowering , so a bit of a surprise. Best regards Roy
Right, thank you, just a standard Russel. Are you sure it’s the same plant and not a seeded one from your main plant, they change colour then because of cross pollination?
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Hi Lyn, It's an original plant , not a seedling , so I'm not sure what's happened , so just an unusual change for me to see in the same season. Best regards Roy
There is a tiny bit of pink on the young yellow flowers in the first pic. It looks as if the colour is changing as the individual flowers age (bottom to top on the spike). Maybe it's after they've been pollinated. Apparently that's a thing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floral_color_change . I have a lupin that starts pale pink and darkens a bit as it ages, and one that's purple and orange turning to all purple as they age, but nothing as dramatic as yours.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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The plant is from a packet of Russel Lupins that I grew a couple of years ago. I do not remember them doing the colour change during last years flowering , so a bit of a surprise.
Best regards
Roy
It's an original plant , not a seedling , so I'm not sure what's happened , so just an unusual change for me to see in the same season.
Best regards
Roy