A perennial favorite

From June 9 at Illinois Beach State Park here’s Lupinus perennis, known as wild lupine and apparently also as sundial lupine, Indian beet, and old maid’s bonnets.

Melissa Pierson provides more information about the species: “This is closely associated with black oak sand savanna and fire. If a fire isn’t run through pretty regularly, we see sharp declines in numbers of lupine. This is the host plant for the Karner Blue butterfly, which used to be found at Illinois Beach but is no longer. There is still a population of them at Indiana Dunes, I understand.”

Speaking of an association with fire, here’s a nearby scene from the same outing; notice the oaks and lupines.

© 2016 Steven Schwartzman