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How to choose lupin seeds: type, count, then price

Updated: 21 October 2026

You have a border in mind, and the amazon.co.uk search for lupin seeds has returned several small packets at roughly the same money. They are not the same plant. In these seven listings, lupin seeds in the UK are ornamental flower packets, not food and not certified farm seed. Sort by life cycle, then a seed count the page does not contradict, then price inside that type. The [lupine seeds comparison](/hub/herb-seeds/lupine-seeds) is that table. Prices are from 19 October 2026. Peter F. checked public UK sources, not a growing trial. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a border in mind, and the amazon.co.uk search for lupin seeds has returned several small packets at roughly the same money. They are not the same plant.

Our top picks

Mr Fothergill's Mr Fothergill's Russell mixed

Best overall

Mr Fothergill's Mr Fothergill's Russell mixed
8.4/10about £2.50
View offer
Damavand Pro Damavand Pro Russell mix

Best value

Damavand Pro Damavand Pro Russell mix
7.7/10about £3.59
View offer
Damavandpro Damavandpro Hartwegii Avalune

Alternative

Damavandpro Damavandpro Hartwegii Avalune
7.2/10about £3.59
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Three packets that are not substitutes
  2. 2.What the UK listings actually state
  3. 3.Price after type
  4. 4.What this packet is not

Three packets that are not substitutes

Russell seed is the tall perennial. The RHS puts hybrids at about 90–120 cm, and Suttons says a March to June sowing flowers the following May to July. Here that is both Mr Fothergill's Russell packets, Damavand Pro's Russell mix, and a Nika title that says Lupinus polyphyllus Russell. The RHS files the garden strain as Lupinus × regalis. Avalune is Damavandpro, 200 seeds at about £3.59, with no centimetres. Buy4seeds is Lupinus angustifolius, 20 seeds at about £8.99, not described as food. Height and year are on Russell lupins or annual lupins.

What the UK listings actually state

A count helps only when the listing says it once. Mr Fothergill's mixed packet, about £2.50 and 4.3 from 274, states 75 items. Pieces field 11554 is model 11554, not a second count. Bullets say 120 cm and the specification says 60 cm. The blue and purple packet, about £3.45 and 4.5 from 62, states 75 seeds and a 15 cm depth. Nika, about £2.99, says 80, 700 and 300, with no star line. SemiSauvage, about £4.03, says 50 dwarf Russel seeds and Légumes, and the only review text is OK, from Belgium. Damavand Pro states 200 seeds, May to July in year two, and 60–100 cm against 100 cm in the specification. Avalune's unit count says 1.0 against 200, and one review says the plants were all purple.
Mr Fothergill's Mr Fothergill's Russell mixed

Testsieger

Mr Fothergill's Mr Fothergill's Russell mixed
8.4/10about £2.50
View offer

Price after type

On 19 October 2026 the ornamental packets sat between about £2.50 and about £4.03. About £3.59 for 200 Russell seeds is more seed than about £2.50 for 75, on 30 reviews rather than 274. About £3.45 is the blue and purple title. The Seed Marketing Regulations 2011, regulation 4, exclude ornamental seed from agricultural certification in England. That point was not re-checked for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Avalune at the same about £3.59 is fair only if you wanted the annual. SemiSauvage at about £4.03 for 50 seeds still does not say whether the dwarf plant returns.

What this packet is not

These packets are not flour and not a licence to eat the seed. The RHS says all parts are poisonous and advises gloves. GOV.UK's lupin allergen rule is for food businesses, not a reason to taste a flower packet. The Kennel Club lists lupins for dogs. If a child or a pet is unwell after eating lupin, contact NHS 111 or a vet. Ask a clinician first if you already have a lupin allergy. Schedule 9 lists checked here do not name Lupinus. Do not sow leftovers on a verge.

Common questions

Are all lupin seeds the same plant?
No. In this amazon.co.uk set, Russell or Lupinus polyphyllus on the title is the tall perennial, Hartwegii Avalune is the dwarf annual, and Lupinus angustifolius is a different annual sold as 20 seeds. Gallery dwarf perennials and tree lupin are real UK garden types and are not in these seven listings. Match the life cycle to the space you have before you compare the star ratings.
Will this flower this summer or next?
Russell packets that state a year say the year after sowing. Mr Fothergill's mixed packet says the year after sowing, and Damavand Pro's Russell mix says May to July in the second year. Avalune is sold as an annual, but UK merchants do not agree on the exact summer: Thompson & Morgan says about 12 weeks, and a Suttons Avalune page also carries a year-2 line. Do not judge a perennial by its first summer of leaves.
Is the £8.99 packet better Russell seed?
No. Buy4seeds at about £8.99 is 20 seeds of Lupinus angustifolius, described as an annual of 90 cm. The 5.0 score is one review about delivery and price, not about flowers. You are paying more per seed for a different species. A Russell mix in this set costs about £2.50 to about £3.59.
Can I eat angustifolius seed from a flower listing?
Do not eat it. The listing does not say sweet, debittered or food grade. The RHS treats lupin seed as poisonous if eaten, and GOV.UK's allergen rules are about food businesses, not a permission to taste ornamental seed. If someone is unwell after eating it, contact NHS 111 or a vet for a pet.
Does a star rating prove germination?
No. The largest file here is 4.3 from 274 on the about £2.50 Mr Fothergill's mix, and those reviews still disagree about germination and about whether a mix stays mixed. A 5.0 from one review, or 3.6 from three with a single word posted in Belgium, does not tell you what will sprout in your compost. Use the stars as a record of other shoppers, then read the seed count and the life cycle.
Is a flower packet certified seed?
Not under the agricultural scheme. The Seed Marketing Regulations 2011, regulation 4, exclude ornamental seed in England. A flower packet is not certified farm seed, and no ornamental germination percentage was taken from those regulations for this page. That point was not re-checked for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. Your usual rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, including satisfactory quality and goods as described, still apply to a packet that is not what the title says.

Related pages

How to sow lupin seeds

Best lupin seeds

Lupine seeds

Growing lupins in pots: depth, slugs and the aphid

Russell lupin vs annual lupin: height and the year

Sources

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.

  1. RHS lupin growing guide (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. RHS Russell Group (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. RHS harvested-seed germination requirements (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. RHS lupin aphid (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Seed Marketing Regulations 2011, regulation 4 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Schedule 9 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK food allergen information for businesses (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. The Kennel Club, poisons in the garden (retrieved 19 October 2026)