Blue lupines.
Butterfly gardeners know that blue lupine attracts the lovely Karner blue butterfly. Not surprisingly, the blossoms themselves resemble small blue butterflies. Blue lupines are a member of the pea family. Does this Spark an idea?
The Plant Family Fabaceae
Karner butterfly.
Blue lupines are a part of the plant family fabaceae. These plants have flowers that resemble butterflies with two outer wing petals and two lower keel petals.
Perennial
Blue lupine is a perennial plant. It prefers full sun and grows well all through the eastern United States.
Appearance
Blue lupines grow to be up to 2 feet tall with up to 30 stems per plant. The flower raceme at the end of the stalk can be up to 10 inches long with many blue butterfly shaped flowers surrounding it.
Survival Characteristics
Blue lupines often appear in disturbed ecosystems such as those that have been cleared of vegetation by fire.
Planting Blue Lupine
Prepare blue lupine seeds by first freezing them for two weeks and then soaking them in hot--not boiling--water for about 12 hours or more. Plant shallowly after the last frost. Water frequently until two weeks after germination. Blue lupines tolerate poor soil so fertilization is usually not necessary.
Tags: Blue lupines, blue butterfly