**Nature Nugget**

Lupine (genus Lupinus) is a type of flowering plant that belongs to the pea family. With approximately 200 lupine species and a wide climate range, the genus contains both perennial and annual herbaceous species, as well as some shrubby and tree varieties. All lupine share similar characteristics, such as the cluster of pea-like blossoms growing on spires, set above clumps of palmately divided leaves. Dependent upon the variety, these plants can grow to be anywhere from 1 to 5 feet tall, and are very successful in attracting their main pollinators, which include bees, hummingbirds and butterflies.

The lupine flowers can be yellow, purple, blue, red, white or bi-colored. There is a large white dot on each small flower, acting as a nectar guide that directs the pollinators to the nectar/pollen source. As the flowers fade, the spots turn bright pink, letting insects know that the nectar and pollen are depleted. Once pollinated the lupine produces a seed pod containing several seeds. When the seed pod becomes dry and brittle, the built-up torsion rips the pod apart and seeds are shot several feet away from the parent plant.

Lupines prefer well-drained, slightly acidic soil and areas that provide ample sun, such as fields, savannas, sand dunes, and areas near the roads. Wild lupine is a plant that thrives in areas that are periodically disturbed, which reduces or eliminates plant competition and overhead canopies. The name lupine originates from the Latin word "lupus" which means “wolf". It refers to an old mistaken belief that lupines strip the nutrients of the soil and ravage the land like a wolf. Despite its false name, lupines are actually able to improve the quality of the soil. Lupines (like beans and peas) are nitrogen fixers, which means that they aid soil fertility by fixing nitrogen from the air into the soil, fertilizing the soil for other plants simply by growing there.