Wild Lupine- MN Native

Beautiful purple flowers that bloom in June. Wild Lupine is a rather compact plant compared to other natives and only reaches a height of about 24''

Wild Lupine is the only host plant for the Karner Blue butterfly caterpillar. Habitat loss has led to the decline in plants, and put the Karner Blue on the endangered species list.

A similar species in Minnesota is the Large-leaved Lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus). This species, introduced by gardeners, has sadly become invasive especially along the north shore of Lake Superior. The Karner Blue butterfly does not benefit from that type of Lupine. Let's help the chances of the Karner Blue butterfly and plant MN native Wild Lupine!

Sun: Full sun
Type: MN Native Perennial
Height: 2 ft
Soil Type: dry, Sandy
Soil Moisture: Well-drained
Other info: It's a legume! Deer/rabbit-resistant

Pot Size: 3", 12.17 fl. oz or 365 ml 

Photo Credit: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons