These stunning wild lupines bring shades of blue, pink, and purple to meadows and roadsides from early spring. They are not just a stunning addition to the landscape—they are crucial for the survival of the rare Karner blue butterfly. The larvae of the short-lived species will only feed on wild blue lupines, crawling up their stems to eat new leaves when they hatch. Once widespread across much of eastern North America, wild lupines have been in decline since the Industrial Revolution and human development has reduced their range. This has had a knock-on effect on the butterflies, which are now an endangered species. Conservation efforts have focused on replanting areas of wild blue lupines to boost butterfly numbers.
Wild lupines
Today in History
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World Children s Day
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Celebrating World Water Day
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The Big Blue of the Sierra
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Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa, Canada
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A city, a cliff, a canyon…and cheese
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Don’t look down
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‘You should see the one that got away!’
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And they’re off!
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Playa del Amor, Marietas Islands, Mexico
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The Girl Scouts celebrate 110 years
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Museum Night in Berlin
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An emerald isle of the Emerald Isle
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The Cordillera de la Sal in the Cordillera Domeyko Range of Chile
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Ukrainian Independence Day
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Just another day in paradise
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Zion National Park, Utah
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Cheetah mother and cub
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A Bengal tiger in Ranthambore National Park, India
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Sailing across the ice
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Piazza IX Aprile, Taormina, Sicily, Italy
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Red-leaf hunting in Japan
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Into the woods
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Entoloma hochstetteri mushroom at Lake Mahinapua, New Zealand
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Storseisundet Bridge, Norway
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‘Fringe’ takes center stage as Edinburgh celebrates the arts
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Atop the roof of Africa
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Black History Month
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Happy Cinco de Mayo!
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Crimson-rumped toucanet in the Refugio Paz de Las Aves, Ecuador
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Celebrating freedom