What's Blooming? May 31st, 2024
Kara Davidson
Sundial (Wild) Lupine
Today we want to discuss Sundial Lupine.
Sundial lupine blooms in late spring and early summer with beautiful purple flowers. It attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. It’s the host plant for the karner blue butterfly and the frosted elfin butterfly. It also improves soil fertility through nitrogen fixation.
The native sundial or wild lupine (Lupinus perennis) is often confused with the non-native common or western lupine (Lupinus polyphyllus). Unfortunately, western lupine is an invasive species in the northeast. While it serves an important role for pollinators in the Pacific Northwest, it is toxic to the endangered karner blue butterfly and does not function as a host plant for our pollinators in the northeast. Additionally, western lupine has been outcompeting native milkweed in some areas making less host plant availability for monarchs. Most of the lupine you see in yards or on the side of the road is western lupine. It is very abundant compared to its native counterpart.
The sundial lupine is smaller with fewer leaflets. Unfortunately, both western and sundial lupine are sold under the name “wild lupine”, so we recommend only purchasing plants specifically marked as “sundial”.
