Sundial Lupine

Did you know

• It is the sole food plant for the caterpillar of the endangered Karner blue butterfly.
• The palmate leaves collect dew and rainwater in their center like a tiny sundial or cup, giving it its name.
• Like all lupines, it enriches poor sandy soils by partnering with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in its roots.
• It was nearly eliminated from its native range by habitat loss, threatening the Karner blue butterfly with extinction.
• Henry David Thoreau wrote about lupine fields near Walden Pond, describing them as 'the richest blue.'

Color meanings

Uses

• native plant restoration
• butterfly gardens
• wildflower meadows
• sandy soil improvement