Narrow-leaf lupin

Published June 2003. Reviewed July 2013. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalogAs a crop species, lupin was important to many ancient civilizations and has been cultivated, mostly as a green manure, for at least 3,000 years. Its native range extends through the western parts of North and South America as well as around the Mediterranean, extending into eastern Africa. Of the more\ud than 300 Lupinus species, only five are cultivated (L. albus, L. angustifolius, L. luteus, L. mutabilis, and L. cosentenii). In the 1920s, German plant breeders produced the first low-alkaloid lupin varieties. Like other legumes, lupin fixes atmospheric nitrogen and produces a high-protein seed that is used as a feed and food source throughout the world