紫色和蓝色的野生羽扇豆 Wild lupine in purple and blue (© silverjohn/Getty Images Plus)

紫色和蓝色的野生羽扇豆 Wild lupine in purple and blue (© silverjohn/Getty Images Plus)

蝴蝶最好的朋友 A butterfly's best friend

野生羽扇豆

野生羽扇豆，俗称鲁冰花，是最美丽的一年生草本植物之一。羽扇豆于早春或初夏开放，花朵通常呈蓝色、粉色或紫色，当它们在草地和路边尽情绽放时，即使是最平凡的风景也变得亮眼起来。野生羽扇豆也是卡纳蓝蝴蝶用来保护卵的唯一一种植物，卡纳蓝蝴蝶的幼虫孵化后就以羽扇豆的叶子为食。

Wild lupines

These stunning wild lupines bring shades of blue, pink, and purple to meadows and roadsides from early spring. They are not just a stunning addition to the landscape—they are crucial for the survival of the rare Karner blue butterfly. The larvae of the short-lived species will only feed on wild blue lupines, crawling up their stems to eat new leaves when they hatch. Once widespread across much of eastern North America, wild lupines have been in decline since the Industrial Revolution and human development has reduced their range. This has had a knock-on effect on the butterflies, which are now an endangered species. Conservation efforts have focused on replanting areas of wild blue lupines to boost butterfly numbers.