Lupines
Along the North Shore Highway between Duluth and Two Harbors, the Minnesota Department of Transportation sowed lupine seeds years ago because the legume plants put down roots that hold the soil on the highway banks. In June and July the lupines bloom in shades of pink, white, purple and blue. Beautful color, large flower stalks.
I collected seeds from the deadhead flowers one year and started them in my perennial bed. They put on a great show. I carefully take the seed heads off after the bloom time because the lupines are aggressive and would take over the garden if left to their own devices. And I don’t compost the seed heads. I put them in a garbage bag and dump them at the transfer station.
Because of their aggressiveness and tendency to be poinsonous to browsers, some areas have declared lupines to be noxious weeds.
The first time I saw hillsides of them blooming was in Prince Edward Island, Canada, in June 1971. Whole hillsides of color were magnificent. But PEI has put lupines on the unwanted list. Noxious beauties.
