I'm not saying where. Only that the lupine are having their best year in a decade. And, they're about two weeks early.
Just gotta look for a New 'Ay to Go?
Nottawa close.
It's the Allegan SGA where I'm at about 3 or 4 times a week for hikes. The pictures were taken at the oak savanna restoration off 126th Avenue, one the DNR's most successful projects I've seen from them. They've copied this elsewhere such as an 80 acre field off 120th which is a nice walk so long as the wind isn't coming from the west. And they're trying to at the old Horseman's campground (112th?) but they can't seem to get Lupine to thrive at the latter.
If there's anyone who would like to meet up for 2,3,4 miles during the day, let me know. I think I may know the place better than most after racking up literally hundreds of miles of roads, trails, deer trails, fire breaks and just plain old bushwhacking.
first week of July they are all over the UP
If you've head the warm(er) winter weather as we did down here, they'll be a couple weeks early.
"And, they're about two weeks early"
That's the key.
I saw those purple flowers all over near Ludington and Empire this past weekend.
Lupine.
The karner blue butterfly depends on lupine as much as the Monarch depends on milkweed. So, the more lupine, the better! Besides, they're absolutely beautiful.
Females only lay their eggs on or near lupine plants. After hatching,
the young caterpillars feed on the lupine. After a few weeks of feeding,
the caterpillars form a chrysalis. Adults emerge in about ten days. Two
generations of Karner blues are produced every year. The first hatch
occurs from mid-May through early June. These butterflies lay eggs which
hatch and become adults for a second hatch from mid-July through early
August. The adult Karner blue butterflies, during their short one to
two-week life span, will feed on the nectar of a variety of flowers,
such as blue lupine, New Jersey tea, dogbane, and butterfly weed.
https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/education/michigan-species/insects/karner
So pretty, gotta love Michigan outdoors in the spring! I need to get out this week and spend some time out there....anywhere lol