Wild lupine in purple and blue
© silverjohn/Getty Images Plu
A butterfly's best friend. Wild lupine
Wild lupine, sometimes called bluebonnet, is one of the most beautiful perennial flowering plants. They bloom in early spring or early summer, and are usually blue, pink, or purple. When spread across meadows and along roadsides, they can bring even the most mundane landscapes to life. Wild lupine is also the only plant used by the Karner blue butterfly to protect its eggs; when the larvae hatch, they crawl up the lupine steps to eat the new leaves. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, lupine numbers declined drastically, and the flower is now considered endangered.
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