The RHS team at RHS Garden Hyde Hall reveals some lupin plants that are safe for consumption
Most keen gardeners know that lupins are poisonous and definitely not for eating! While this is true for ornamental lupins (including the perennial Russell hybrid types) there are two species that can make good eating from the garden. Being in the pea and bean family (legumes) they are high in protein at 30-40 per cent and could play a role in helping us move towards a more plant-based diet, especially in parts of the world where growing soya can be a challenge.
Lupin toxicity is due to a high alkaloid called ‘lupanine’ content, making them taste bitter and potentially harmful if consumed. To avoid this ‘sweet lupins’ with lower lupanine levels have been bred. These can be soaked and washed in water to remove remaining levels making them safe for eating. It is important to note, however, that people with peanut allergies should not consume lupins. In Europe, the Lupini bean (Lupinus albus) is a popular Mediterranean crop that was widely grown in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. They produce a large, fat, yellow seed which can be purchased tinned in brine. The Tarwi bean (Lupinus mutabilis) is a South American species widely grown in the Andes by the Incan empire. It has a smaller, whiter seed than the Lupini bean and is difficult to source in the UK, but we have grown it in the Global Growth Vegetable Garden at RHS Hyde Hall. Other species including Lupinus angustifolius, are occasionally used for green manure and livestock feed in the UK.
Edible lupins are annual plants, best sown in the spring. We start them off under glass in April in deep pots also used for other types of bean, before planting outdoors 30cm apart towards the end of May. They can also be direct sown in the ground in April. The best performing and most readily available seed to the home ga
