The best lupine seeds, compared.
Top pick: Buy4seeds Lupinus angustifolius Best value: Damavand Pro Russell mix – 200 seeds at about £3.59 with a second-year flower line, on a different ASIN from the top pick, with 4.2 from 30 reviews. Updated 21.10.2026.
Lupine seeds are seven ornamental packets from amazon.co.uk. You are choosing a tall perennial, which usually flowers the year after a spring sowing, or a dwarf annual for a shorter plant. One packet is angustifolius, and the listing does not call it sweet or food grade. Judge the species, a seed count the page states once, and a sowing depth near 5 mm. The RHS says every part is poisonous if eaten, the seed coat is hard, and lupins resent soggy compost and root disturbance. These envelopes are not food and not certified agricultural seed. The type decision is in the [lupine seeds buying guide](/hub/herb-seeds/lupine-seeds/sub/lupine-seeds-buying-guide). The Seed Regulations 2011, regulation 4, apply in England and exclude ornamental seed, so a flower packet is not certified seed. That instrument was not re-checked for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Lupine seeds are seven ornamental packets from amazon.co.uk. You are choosing a tall perennial, which usually flowers the year after a spring sowing, or a dwarf annual for a shorter plant.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What do you want to grow?
Buy4seeds lists 20 seeds of Lupinus angustifolius at about £8.99, with a rating line of 5.0 from 1. The bullets call it an annual for the garden, 90 cm tall, sown from March to September at 5 mm and 18–20°C, with germination from 14 days, which is a clearer sowing block than most Russell packets here. That single review says the packet came quickly and was good value, and it does not describe germination or flowers, so the five stars are not a trial of the plant. The page does not say sweet, debittered or food grade, and narrow-leafed lupin is not the Russell border plant the other packets are selling. At about £8.99 for 20 seeds you pay far more per seed than a £2.50 or £3.59 ornamental mix, for a different species. Buy it only if you specifically want L. angustifolius as an ornamental annual and you will not eat the seed.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want this named annual species for the garden and you will not eat the seed.
Less suitable: You wanted Russell spikes, a large review set, or anything sold as lupin flour.
Specifications
Common questions
Which species is named, and is it described as food?
The title names Lupinus angustifolius and 20 seeds, at about £8.99. The bullets call it an annual for the garden and outdoors. They do not say sweet, debittered, or food grade.
What sowing details does the listing give?
Sow March to September, 5 mm deep, at 18–20°C, germination 14 days or more. Height is 90 cm. Sun is full sun or partial shade. Soil is sand or loam. Spacing is 20–30 cm. Bloom season is June to July, without a year.
How many reviews are there?
The rating line is 5.0 from 1. That review says the packet came quickly and was good value. It does not describe germination or flowers.
Mr Fothergill's blue and purple Russell listing is a hardy perennial at about £3.45, with 4.5 from 62 reviews and 75 seeds in both the bullets and the unit count. The title narrows the colour to blue and purple, while the bullets also call it a mix, so this is not a single named cultivar and not a full rainbow either. Sowing is given as indoors from March to June or outdoors from April to July, and the same bullets print a depth of 15 cm, which you should not follow against the millimetre cover usual for lupin seed. Height is not stated, and questions on the page about pots and height go unanswered in the bullets. The higher star line than the mixed Fothergill's packet sits on 62 reviews rather than 274, so it does not by itself show better germination. Choose it when you want this brand's blue and purple mix and you will sow at about 5 mm anyway.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a blue and purple Russell packet from this brand and you will ignore the 15 cm depth.
Less suitable: You would sow at the depth printed on the bullets, or you need a stated height.
Specifications
Common questions
How many seeds does this listing state?
The bullets say 75 seeds in each pack. The unit count is also 75. The number of items is 1.
When does the listing say to sow?
Indoors from March to June, or outdoors from April to July. The same bullets print a sowing depth of 15 cm. No other depth is given on this listing.
Does the listing state a height or that it grows in pots?
No. Height is not stated. Questions on the page ask about pots and height, and the bullets do not answer them.
Mr Fothergill's Russell mixed, model 11554, is a hardy perennial packet listed at about £2.50, and the amazon.co.uk line is 4.3 from 274 reviews. The bullets say it flowers the year after sowing, with early summer colour, and that it is suitable for attracting bees, so a spring sowing is a wait until the next season. Height is not one figure: the bullets say 120 cm and the specification says 60 cm, with sunlight listed as partial shade, and those two heights should stay as printed. Number of items is 75, while number of pieces is 11554, the same digits as the model number, so that field is not a second seed count. Reviews disagree about germination and about whether the mix stays mixed, which is the recurring complaint on this cheap mixed packet. It is the top pick when you want a UK brand, a large review set and a Russell perennial you can resow if a tray fails, and a weaker choice if you need one agreed height before you order.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a cheap Russell perennial from a named UK brand and can wait until the year after sowing.
Less suitable: You need one agreed height on the listing, or flowers in the same summer you sow.
Specifications
Common questions
When does this packet flower, according to the listing?
The bullets say it is a hardy perennial that flowers the year after sowing, with early summer colour, and that it is suitable for attracting bees.
How tall does the listing say it grows?
The bullets say 120 cm. The specification says 60 centimetres and lists sunlight exposure as partial shade. Both figures are on the same listing.
How many seeds are you buying?
Number of items is 75. Number of pieces is 11554, which is the same figure as model number 11554, so that field is not a seed count. Reviews disagree about germination and about whether the mix stays mixed.
Damavand Pro's Russell mix is a perennial zip pack of 200 seeds at about £3.59, and the amazon.co.uk line is 4.2 from 30 reviews. The bullets put flowers in May to July in the second year, which is the same wait a Russell border usually asks for and rules out a same-summer spike from this packet. Height is 60–100 cm in the bullets and 100 cm in the specification, a stated range rather than the 120 cm versus 60 cm clash on the cheaper mixed packet. Colours are listed as pink, purple, white and yellow, the packet weight is 4 g, and the country of origin is given as the United Kingdom. Sun is not stated, and questions about pollinators and pots are not answered in the bullets. At roughly 1.8p a seed it is the best value Russell packet in this set if you can live with 30 reviews rather than 274.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want more Russell seeds for the money and a second-year flowering line printed on the listing.
Less suitable: You want the largest review set, or flowers in the summer you sow.
Specifications
Common questions
When does this listing say it flowers?
The bullets say May to July in the second year after sowing. The expected blooming period is summer.
What height and seed count are stated?
The bullets say 60–100 cm and 200 seeds. The specification says an expected plant height of 100 centimetres. Packet weight is 4 g.
Does the listing say it attracts pollinators or suits pots?
Those points appear only as questions. The bullets do not answer them. Sun is not stated. Country of origin is given as the United Kingdom.
Damavandpro's Hartwegii Avalune mix is the annual in this set: the title calls it a dwarf, bushy cottage-garden lupin, 200 seeds, at about £3.59, with 4.0 from 58 reviews. The bullets list blues, purples, pinks, reds and whites, yet one review says the plants were all purple, so a mixed photograph is not a colour guarantee. Sowing is given as 1/4 inch deep in early spring, in full sun, with moderate watering, which is a usable depth line. No height in centimetres is printed, so the dwarf claim has to sit beside merchant figures of about 30–40 cm for Avalune rather than a measurement on this page. The unit-count field says 1.0, which does not match the 200-seed title. Hummingbirds are named on the bullets, which is not a UK reason to buy. It is the row to open when you want a short annual from this shelf, and the wrong row if you wanted a Russell clump that returns the year after sowing.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a short annual for the front of a border or a pot and you accept a colour mix.
Less suitable: You need a perennial that flowers the following year, or a height in centimetres on the page.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this listing an annual or a perennial?
The title calls it a cottage-garden annual, dwarf and bushy. It names Lupinus hartwegii Avalune. It does not give a height in centimetres.
How many seeds and what colours are stated?
The title and the piece count say 200 seeds. The bullets list blues, purples, pinks, reds and whites. One review says the plants were all purple.
What sowing depth and sun does the listing give?
The bullets say sow 1/4 inch deep in early spring, in full sun, with moderate watering. The unit-count field says 1.0 count, which does not match the 200-seed title.
SemiSauvage sells 50 dwarf Russel lupine seeds at about £4.03, and the rating line is 3.6 from 3. Seller text says the seeds are reproducible, non-hybrid, acclimatised and not chemically treated, while the title still says Russel, and the page does not explain how both claims sit together. Height, colour, sun and life cycle are all missing, so you cannot tell whether this is a short perennial or a short annual. The specification product type is Légumes, which does not match a flower-seed title and is not explained. The only review text in the file is the word OK, posted in Belgium, so it is not a UK report of germination or flowers. At about £4.03 for 50 seeds it costs more per seed than the 200-seed Russell and Avalune packets, without the fields those listings at least attempt.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already use this seller's seed and only need the 50-count title checked against your last packet.
Less suitable: You need a stated life cycle, a UK review of flowers, or a species name that does not clash with the seller text.
Specifications
Common questions
What exactly is stated on this listing?
The title says 50 dwarf Russel lupine seeds at about £4.03. Seller text says the seeds are reproducible, non-hybrid, acclimatised, and not chemically treated. Height, colour, sun, and life cycle are not stated.
What is the product-type field?
The specification says Légumes. That word does not match a flower-seed title, and the listing does not explain it.
What do the reviews say?
The rating line is 3.6 from 3. The only review text in the file is OK, and it was posted in Belgium.
Nika seeds lists Lupinus polyphyllus Russell mixed as 80 seeds at about £2.99, and the bullets call it a perennial for the border and for cutting at 100 cm. The same listing then prints a unit count of 700 and a number of items of 300, so the page does not tell you how many seeds are in the envelope. There is no customer-review line, and sun, sowing window and the year of first flowers are all missing. The bullets also say instructions are not attached, which leaves the hard seed coat and the usual next-year wait unstated. At about £2.99 it sits in the same entry band as the Mr Fothergill's mixed packet, but the count clash is the reason to pass over it when you are choosing from the listing alone. Keep it as a cheap perennial title, not as a packet whose contents you can check before you pay.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already know Russell seed and will ignore the conflicting count fields on this page.
Less suitable: You need one seed count, a rating, or sowing instructions printed on the listing.
Specifications
Common questions
What plant and seed count does the title claim?
The title says Lupinus polyphyllus Russell mixed, 80 seeds, at about £2.99. The bullets say perennial, border and cutting, 100 cm, and that instructions are not attached.
Do the other count fields agree?
No. Unit count is 700 and number of items is 300. There is no customer-review line on this listing.
Is sun, sowing date, or a star rating stated?
No. Sun, sowing window, first flowering year, and rating are all missing from this listing.
Scores use the seven amazon.co.uk listings captured on 19 October 2026. This is not a laboratory germination test. A star line is not a promise that seed will sprout. The published bands are review evidence up to 40, listing clarity up to 25, and price inside the ornamental band up to 15. Those shares are scaled below to 50, 31 and 19 so the weights sum to 100. The highest score is the top pick. Best value is the best price against a usable Russell listing, on a different ASIN.
Review evidence
50%Star rating scaled toward 35, plus a volume term capped at 25, then the pair is kept inside the evidence band. Mr Fothergill's mixed packet is 4.3 from 274. A five-star line from a single delivery comment, or a file that is not about UK flowers, scores lower.
Listing clarity
31%Life cycle stated, one seed count, and a sowing depth near 5 mm or no depth at all. Conflicting counts, a 15 cm sowing depth, and a missing life cycle are deductions. Nika seeds prints 80, 700 and 300. One Mr Fothergill's bullet prints 15 cm.
Price in the ornamental band
19%About £2.50 to £4.03 scores inside this set. £8.99 for 20 seeds of Lupinus angustifolius does not. Best value is 200 Russell seeds at about £3.59 with a second-year flower line, not the cheapest title alone.
Choose the species and the year of first flowers before the star rating. A Russell perennial, a dwarf Hartwegii annual and Lupinus angustifolius are not the same packet.
Lupine seeds on this shelf are ornamental packets for the garden, not food and not a sack of agricultural seed. The Seed Marketing Regulations 2011, regulation 4, apply in England and exclude ornamental seed, so a flower packet is not certified seed. That instrument was not re-checked for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. The seven amazon.co.uk listings kept here were priced from about £2.50 to about £8.99 on 19 October 2026. None of them is lupin flour.
One listing prints 15 cm. The RHS uses about 5 mm, and Suttons about 6.5 mm, often after a nick or a hot soak. Follow the millimetre cover, not the 15 cm bullet.
A spring sowing of Russell seed usually flowers the following May to July. Do not judge the packet by the first summer. Avalune timing is a separate claim, and the amazon listing does not state the year.
These packets are not described as sweet or food grade. All parts are poisonous if eaten. Garden lupin is already a neophyte on shingle and roadsides. Grow it in the garden and do not sow leftovers in the wild.
Russell or Lupinus polyphyllus is a border perennial. Hartwegii Avalune is a dwarf annual. Lupinus angustifolius on the Buy4seeds packet is a different annual and is not labelled sweet or food grade. Suttons says Russell sown from March to June flowers the following May to July. Damavand Pro's bullets say the second year. Thompson & Morgan puts Avalune at about 12 weeks, and UK merchants do not all agree. Do not judge a perennial in its first summer.
Use a seed count the listing states once. Nika seeds says 80 on the title and 700 and 300 in other fields. Mr Fothergill's mixed packet states 75 items, while a pieces field repeats model 11554 and is not a second count. Cover seed by about 5 mm. The RHS germination note uses 5 mm at 13–18°C, and it allows up to 90 days. Suttons uses about 6.5 mm. The blue and purple Mr Fothergill's bullets print 15 cm, which you should not follow. The Hartwegii listing prints 1/4 inch.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want tall spikes and you can leave the first summer without flowers. Mr Fothergill's Russell mixed is the top pick: a named UK brand, 4.3 from 274 reviews, and about £2.50. The bullets say it flowers the year after sowing. The height still reads 120 cm and 60 cm.
A 90–120 cm Russell is the wrong plant for the front of a border or a patio pot. Damavandpro's Hartwegii Avalune is the annual in this set: 200 seeds at about £3.59, 4.0 from 58 reviews, and a 1/4 inch sowing line. The listing gives no height in centimetres.
You want a perennial Russell packet and you will accept a thinner review file. Damavand Pro's mix is the best value: 200 seeds at about £3.59, about 1.8p a seed, with flowers stated for May to July in the second year. The star line is 4.2 from 30, not 274.
The top pick is Mr Fothergill's Russell mixed at about £2.50. It scores 84, the highest here, with 4.3 from 274 reviews, and the bullets call it a hardy perennial that flowers the year after sowing. The same listing prints 120 cm and 60 cm, so the height is not one figure. Best value is Damavand Pro's Russell mix at about £3.59, a different ASIN, with 200 seeds and a May to July line for the second year, on 4.2 from 30 reviews. Skip the £2.50 packet if you need one agreed height. Skip the 200-seed packet if you want the largest review set, or flowers in the summer you sow.
Damavand Pro Russell mix
200 seeds at about £3.59 with a second-year flower line, on a different ASIN from the top pick, with 4.2 from 30 reviews.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these seven listings were read on 19 October 2026. Page updated 21 October 2026.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Lee Burkhill (Garden Ninja) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are taken from those listings. We did not run a lab test.
