Arctic lupine

Lupinus arcticus

The arctic lupine is a bushy herb (15-50 cm tall), with hollow, upright stems covered in long silky white hairs. Prefers open areas (including gravel), grassy alpine slopes, moist tundra, heath and woodland. Lupines are well adapted to northern climates and can enrich soils that have low nitrogen levels. The leaves are made up of six-to-eight pointed leaflets that look like fingers of a hand and grow from the base of the plant on long stalks. Flowers range from medium blue to a purple lavender colour and bloom from the bottom up in a cluster around a central stalk. The fruits are yellowish, hairy pods (2-4 cm long) which twist after opening.