Driving around Oregon it does not take long to notice these beautiful purple flowers we call Lupines. They are every where, if you haven’t noticed take a walk in an Oregon State Park and you will most likely find a field of them standing tall. One blogger decided to do some investigating on these gorgeous plants and below is some of what was discovered.
The leaf of a flower is an important part of identification! Unfortunately, it is this leaf that is throwing off my ID. This flower is the size of a “broadleaf lupine” (few other lupines are as tall!) – but the leaves do not seem particularly broad or as round as described. A mystery.
From my observations, the bees tend to start low on the plant and then spiral their way up making frequent stops. Check out the keel petals still poking out from the wing petals!
SRC: For many more photos of Lupines at different stages visit: http://columbiarivergorgeparks.wordpress.com/2014/06/10/for-the-love-of-lupine-a-naturalist-study/
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