Lupines

Lupines, Lupinus polyphyllus, have naturalized all over Maine.  They are not natives, but transplants from the west and have, like lilacs, become a beloved spring flower, spawning festivals, tourists, photographers, painters, and a few uncouth roadside plantnappers.

Unfortunately, they are muscling out our native lupine, Lupinus perennis, which among other things provides habitat or food for several kinds of butterflies, including the rare and lovely Karner Blue Butterfly.  I would plant some of the natives at Henbogle, but lupines prefer deep, sandy soil of low fertility, which is exactly what I do not have here, so my efforts would be wasted.

Nonetheless, the nonnative lupines are lovely and have become a needed economic driver in Maine.  In these photos, they are blooming in the fields around our town transfer station.  Where else can you find a transfer station, aka dump, this lovely I ask?  Only in Maine.