Lupinus luteus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lupinus luteus
Scientific classification

Lupinus luteus - MHNT

Lupinus luteus, often called annual yellow-lupin or yellow lupin, is a lovely flowering plant. It originally comes from the Mediterranean region of Southern Europe. This plant is known for its bright yellow flowers and its useful seeds.

Where Yellow Lupin Grows

This plant likes to grow in sandy soils and even in areas with volcanic soil. You can find it growing wild along the coasts of places like Spain, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria. It also grows on islands such as Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily, and in Southern Italy.

Yellow lupin is also grown by farmers in other parts of the world. It is cultivated in Northern Europe and countries like Belarus and Ukraine. You can also find it growing in Western Australia and South Africa. Sometimes, plants that were grown by people can escape and start growing wild, which has happened with yellow lupin in southern France and on Madeira island.

Scientists have studied the yellow lupin very closely. They have found many different types of this plant. These types can be identified by the color of their flowers, the shape of their leaves, and their seeds.

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  Lupinus luteus growing in Portugal

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  A close-up of a yellow lupin flower

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  The fruit of the yellow lupin plant

Uses of Yellow Lupin

The yellow seeds of this plant are known as lupin beans. Long ago, these beans were a common food in the Mediterranean area and Latin America. Today, they are mostly eaten as a pickled snack food. They are often enjoyed like olives or pickles.

Yellow lupin is also grown to feed farm animals like livestock and poultry. It provides good nutrition for them. Besides being useful for food and animal feed, the yellow lupin is also grown as an ornamental plant. This means people plant it in gardens because its bright yellow flowers are very pretty to look at.

See also

In Spanish: Lupino amarillo para niños