Lupinus hirsutus
L.
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What to Eat
Edible parts: Seed
Seed - cooked. Used as a protein-rich vegetable or savoury dish in any of the ways that cooked beans are used, they can also be roasted or ground into a powder and used in making bread. If the seed is bitter this is due to the presence of toxic alkaloids and the seed should be thoroughly leached before being cooked.
Known Hazards
Where to Find It
S. Europe.
TEMPERATE ASIA: Israel, Jordan (west), Lebanon, Syria, Turkey (w. & s.) EUROPE: Greece (incl. Crete)
How to Identify
Lupinus hirsutus is a ANNUAL. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
How to Grow
An easily grown plant, it succeeds in any moderately good soil in a sunny position. There is some doubt over this name. L. hirsutus was used twice by Linnaeus, in 1753 for an European species and again in 1763 for an American species. The American species was subsequently renamed L. micranthus, but we believe that the original L. hirsutus is intended in this report of edibility. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.
Propagation: Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and sow in mid spring in situ. You may need to protect the seed from mice. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. The seed can also be sown in situ as late as early summer as a green manure crop.
Other Uses
Nitrogen fixer. Dynamic accumulator.
