Wild Lupine (Lupinus Perennis)

Wild Lupine has a very unique leaf structure, being palmately compounded and sends attractive bluish-purple flower blooms above the foliage in late spring to early summer. These plants prefer full sun and dry, slightly acidic soils. One memory I have of these plants are extremely large drifts on the north side of Hwy 61 near Two Harbors, putting on a spectacular display in early June! Lupinus Perennis plays a couple of important roles in the environment, one being the only food source of the Blue Karner Butterfly, which is on the endangered species list. It also has a symbiotic relationship with a nitrogen fixing bacteria which lives in their roots. These bacteria pulls nitrogen from the air and converts it into nitrogen that plants can take up!