Saving the Wild Lupines

SVT is taking pre-emptive steps to save the threatened wild lupine at our Memorial Forest Reservation in Sudbury. This native plant, which blooms in shades of blue and white, is uncommon in our local woods, yet it provides good food for pollinators and birds. 

Wild lupine is one of the species that we have been trying to protect as part of our habitat restoration project at this property. Unfortunately, Eversource is planning to install a high-power utility line in the area where these beautiful flowers grow, which could prevent them from blooming in the future. 

To help save the wild lupine, SVT volunteers Nan Burke and Don Burn collected seed pods from this year’s blooms and are drying the pods in the garden window of their home. Later this year, we’ll plant the seeds at other locations at Memorial Forest.

Fingers crossed, we’ll be enjoying wild lupine blossoms once again in 2021.

This isn't the first time that Nan has played an important role in helping us restore habitat. A few years ago, she collected and germinated the seeds of common milkweed plants that provide food for the caterpillars of monarch butterflies. We shared the plants with our members in order to add this important habitat to gardens throughout the region. Nan has also raised and released the butterflies themselves. Read more about these projects.