This is a plant with stout stems growing to 1.5 metres tall. The leaves are palmately compound with 9 to 17 leaflets which are 3 to15 centimetres long. The flowers are produced on a tall spike most commonly blue to purple in wild plants. Lupins hybridise freely and are deliberately crossed to create garden varieties. Russell Lupin (Lupinus arboreus x polyphyllus = L. x regalis) is now the most commonly encountered variety. Because of the difficulty of separating the various species we have decided to treat Lupins as an aggregate species unless expert examination of the plant has taken place.

Often close to habitation and alongside roads.

Flowers June to August.

Perennial.

Occasional but widespread in Britain, usually as an escape from cultivation.

Occasional garden escape in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 29 of the 617 tetrads.