The westernmost corner of garden is full of lupins right now! These beautiful wild flowers are a welcome addition to any marginal soil. Not only are they bright bursts of colour, but their roots have a unique ability to take nitrogen gas from the air, and convert it into a useable form for plant roots. Adding nitrogen to the soil is a great thing for neighbouring plants.
The Nuxalk (the West coast of Vancouver Island) and Kwakwaka'wakw (north of Campbell River on both sides of the Georgia Strait) people are known for pit-cooking the roots of this plant for food. Beware! Some lupins contain toxic alkaloids and should not be eaten without this expert knowledge.
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