PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 3, 2025
The vast majority of lupine plants seen in Maine — known for their tall spikes of bright purple, pink or white flowers — aren’t native to the state and are considered invasive by many botanists. Maine’s only native lupine species, the sundial lupine (Lupinus perennis), once supported native pollinators such as the endangered Karner blue butterfly, but it is now believed to be largely extirpated — meaning locally extinct in the wild. The bigleaf lupine, which is native to the West Coast, has primarily taken its place. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens recommends that Mainers remove bigleaf lupines from their gardens and replace them with sundial lupines, which can still be purchased from many nurseries and online seed sellers.