The cover of this award-winning story shows Alice, Miss Ramfius, kneeling in front of a piece of lupine in the woods. As illustrated in this classic children’s play, lupins also grow wild in many places, including New Brunswick. They emerge in fields and ditches, and are also planted by people who want to bring the beauty of these purple and pink to their own backyards. In Barbara Cooney’s classic children’s Miss Rumphius, lupine seeds are scattered to make the world a more beautiful place. (Penguin Random House) But along with beauty come a number of other issues, not all of which are beneficial. Lupins are considered an invasive species, according to Kristin Elton, program director at the New Brunswick Species Invasion Council. “Everyone sees it as a very iconic East Coast species,” Elton told Shift New Brunswick, but the plant is actually native to the west coast of North America. “And the reason it creates the problem is that it can penetrate areas and just take over. So it’s one of those invasive plants that reproduces very quickly.” That’s a problem, Elton said, because lupins consume resources from other plants. On the other hand, it is what is called a nitrogen-fixing plant, which means that they take nitrogen from the atmosphere and end up putting that nitrogen in the soil. Kristin Elton, of the New Brunswick Spatial Species Council, says lupins are an invasive species with a mixed reputation. (Submitted by Kristin Elton) “We need nitrogen. It’s one of the building blocks of life. And it can help improve soil quality, really. It’s a benefit. It can also be used to control erosion in some places,” Elton said. Another mark on the professional side for lupins? Bees love them. But on the side? “There is research showing that we are seeing reduced plant biodiversity and reduced species of butterflies in lupine-infested areas.” And these are hardy plants, so you can see them in ditches and along the road. They do not need good, nutritious soil to reproduce. For backyard gardeners longing for their wild appeal, lupins can be grown from seed. George Scott, of Scott’s Nursery in Fredericton, said lupins have always been popular with gardeners, but paradoxically, some have found it difficult to grow plants. George Scott of Scott Kindergarten in Fredericton. (Submitted by George Scott / Facebook) “If they have reasonable light, you know, they like a sunny area, and with reasonable light and soil you could start them from seed quite easily. Or you could, you know, transplant.” “We sell a lot of different colors,” Scott said. Along with deep blue and purple, “you will get yellow and bicolor.” Scott also points out, like Elton, that plants have some benefits, along with beauty to the viewer. “They sometimes use them to regain ground, like where they might have raised a lawn or something.” Lupins may be on the invasive list, but Elton says do not worry. The Occupational Property Council is not going to ask you to uproot them. Bees love lupins, but on the other hand, Elton said there is research showing reduced plant biodiversity and reduced species of butterflies in lupine-infested areas. “There is such a connection to lupins in the area,” he said. “I do not think it would be good if we told everyone to get rid of their lupins,” he said. The council just wants people to know some of the disadvantages that go along with their beauty. Miss Rampius would approve.
