Lupinus parviflorus, July 30, 2020
Common & scientific name
Lodgepole lupine, Lupinus parviflorus
Family
Pea, Fabaceae
Location
Independence ghost town, 10,800’
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
I kind of can’t believe I’m just writing about lupine now, at the end of July, after it’s been abundant throughout the Roaring Fork Valley for months. I probably just haven’t been in the right place at the right time, but this is honestly the first lupine I’ve seen this year, roadside, across from the ghost town. Lodgepole lupine (hey—it was right below the lodgepole plantation!) has a narrow, densely-packed spike of small purple flowers, and skinny leaves that curl in on each other and are smooth on top and hairy (straight and appressed) on the back.