# Lupinus nootkatensis

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Species of legume

Lupinus nootkatensis Nootka lupine growing in Iceland. Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae Clade: Embryophytes Clade: Tracheophytes Clade: Spermatophytes Clade: Angiosperms Clade: Eudicots Clade: Rosids Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Subfamily: Faboideae Genus: Lupinus Species: L. nootkatensis Binomial name Lupinus nootkatensis Donn ex Sims

***Lupinus nootkatensis***, the **Nootka lupine**,[1] is a [perennial plant](/source/Perennial_plant) of the [genus](/source/Genus) *[Lupinus](/source/Lupinus)* in the [legume](/source/Legume) [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)), [Fabaceae](/source/Fabaceae). It is native to [North America](/source/North_America) and was introduced to Europe in the late 18th century.[2] It grows up to 60 cm tall, and has bright bluish-purple flowers.

Iceland Nootka Lupin Flower

Iceland Nootka Lupin Flower Fields

The Nootka lupine is common on the west coast of North America, and is one of the species from which the garden hybrids are derived, being valued in Britain and other North-European countries for its tolerance of cool, wet summers. In North America, it grows along roadsides, gravel bars, and forest clearings from the Aleutian Islands and [Southcentral Alaska](/source/Southcentral_Alaska), and along the [Alaskan panhandle](/source/Southeast_Alaska) to [British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia). It is a rigorous self-seeder and can often be seen along roadsides and in open meadows. Their long tap roots make transplanting difficult, so sowing seed is preferable.

## Taxonomy

The species was first described as *Lupinus nootkatensis* in 1810 by [James Donn](/source/James_Donn) in *[Botanical Magazine](/source/Botanical_Magazine)*, Vol. 32, Page 1311.[3]

On [the Plant List](/source/The_Plant_List) the species is divided in two [varieties](/source/Variety_(botany)):[4]

- *Lupinus nootkatensis* var. *fruticosus* Sims

- *Lupinus nootkatensis* var. *nootkatensis* is the [subspecies](/source/Subspecies).

## Toxicity

A member of the pea family ([Fabaceae](/source/Fabaceae)), lupines form seeds in fuzzy pods that may be attractive to children. The seeds of the lupine can be toxic, though toxins flush through the system quickly and are not cumulative. However, internal use is not advised.[5]

## Nootka lupine in Iceland

In Iceland, the Nootka lupine has been designated an invasive species.[6] The plant was introduced in 1945 by the [Icelandic Forest Service](/source/Icelandic_Forest_Service) to combat erosion, speed up land reclamation and help with [reforestation](/source/Reforestation_in_Iceland).[7] Dense lupine cover and soil fertility can be gained within a relatively short time span, where the growth of the lupine is not limited by droughts.[8] The plant has spread from the loose, eroded soil in which it was originally planted and is now found throughout the lowlands of Iceland.[9]

The lupine is well suited for reclamation of large, barren areas because of its nitrogen fixation and rapid growth. Furthermore, it has an ability to extract phosphorus from compounds in poor soils.[10] In spite of these good qualities, it has a tendency to become dominant and to colonize already vegetated areas such as dwarf shrub-highlands, where it overtakes the natural flora and threatens biodiversity.[9] The growth of the Nootka lupine has led to public debate about its presence in Iceland, with some praising its improvement of soil through [nitrogen fixation](/source/Nitrogen_fixation) and the vibrant colour it brings to Iceland's landscape, and others concerned that it will eradicate native flora, particularly the favoured native [crowberry](/source/Crowberry) and [blueberry](/source/Blueberry) patches.[11]

The initial expectation was for the Nootka lupine to retreat gradually along with increased fertility of the soil and give way for other species. This is evident on sites in Iceland where the lupine was introduced early, such as in Heiðmörk near Reykjavík.[12] However, plant succession is towards a [forb](/source/Forb)-rich grassland, often dominated by the invasive species *[Anthriscus sylvestris](/source/Anthriscus_sylvestris)*, meaning that careful management of lupine is necessary to prevent it from colonizing areas where its presence is not desirable.[13]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [NRCS](/source/Natural_Resources_Conservation_Service). ["*Lupinus nootkatensis*"](https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/plant-profile/LUNO). *PLANTS Database*. [United States Department of Agriculture](/source/United_States_Department_of_Agriculture) (USDA). Retrieved 1 March 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Magnusson, B. (2006): NOBANIS – Invasive Alien Species Fact Sheet – Lupinus nootkatensis. – From: Online Database of the North European and Baltic Network on Invasive Alien Species – NOBANIS www.nobanis.org, Date of access 31 October 2008.[\[1\]](http://www.nobanis.org/files/factsheets/Lupinus_nootkatensis.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080920194558/http://www.nobanis.org/files/factsheets/Lupinus_nootkatensis.pdf) 20 September 2008 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Sims, John. ["Curtis's botanical magazine, or, Flower-garden displayed: In which the most ornamental foreign plants, cultivated in the open ground, the green-house, and the stove, are accurately represented in their natural colours"](http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044106372972). *Flower-Garden Displayed*: 56 v. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250402094959/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044106372972&seq=5) from the original on 2 April 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Search results — the Plant List"](http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/search?q=Lupinus+nootkatensis).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["PlantFiles: Lupinus Species, Nootka Lupine"](http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/51569/#ixzz3pfpYktlh). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20151011091110/http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/51569///#ixzz3pfpYktlh) from the original on 11 October 2015. Retrieved 26 October 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Icelandic Institute of Natural History, Invasive Plants in Iceland, accessed 7 May 2019 [\[2\]](https://www.ni.is/grodur/agengar-plontur) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230601032550/https://www.ni.is/grodur/agengar-plontur) 1 June 2023 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Iceland_7-0)** Bjarnason, Egill (2021). [*How Iceland Changed the World: The Big History of a Small Island*](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55197188-how-iceland-changed-the-world). New York: Penguin Books. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0143135883](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0143135883).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Biological Diversity in Iceland (2001). National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Ministry for the Environment and the Icelandic Institute of Natural History [\[3\]](https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/is/is-nr-01-en.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160304192832/https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/is/is-nr-01-en.pdf) 4 March 2016 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NOBANIS_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NOBANIS_9-1) Borgthor Magnusson, "NOBANIS – Invasive Alien Species Fact Sheet: *Lupinus nootkatensis*," pp. 4-5 [\[4\]](https://www.nobanis.org/globalassets/speciesinfo/l/lupinus-nootkatensis/lupinus_nootkatensis.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160310141938/https://www.nobanis.org/globalassets/speciesinfo/l/lupinus-nootkatensis/lupinus_nootkatensis.pdf) 10 March 2016 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Sigurður Arnarson (2014). Belgjurtabókin. Sumarhúsið og garðurinn.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Bjarnason, Egill (16 January 2018). ["Why Iceland Is Turning Purple"](https://hakaimagazine.com/features/why-iceland-is-turning-purple/). *Hakai Magazine*. Retrieved 26 August 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [Daði Björnsson (2011). Hörfar lúpínan? Dæmi úr Heiðmörk. (Does lupine retreat? The case of Heiðmörk) Skógræktarritið, The Journal of the Icelandic Forestry Association, the second issue of 2011. Skógræktarfélag Íslands.](http://www.skog.is/images/stories/frettir/2011/horfar-lupinan.pdf)[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Borgthor Magnusson, "NOBANIS – Invasive Alien Species Fact Sheet: *Lupinus nootkatensis*," pp. 7-9 [\[5\]](https://www.nobanis.org/globalassets/speciesinfo/l/lupinus-nootkatensis/lupinus_nootkatensis.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160310141938/https://www.nobanis.org/globalassets/speciesinfo/l/lupinus-nootkatensis/lupinus_nootkatensis.pdf) 10 March 2016 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

## Sources

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Lupinus nootkatensis](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Lupinus_nootkatensis).

- [\[6\]](http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LUNO) Accessed 31 October 2008.

- [\[7\]](https://www.cbd.int/doc/world/is/is-nr-01-en.pdf) Biological Diversity in Iceland. National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Ministry for the Environment and the Icelandic Institute of Natural History. 2001.

A meadow of Nootka lupine growing in Iceland.

Taxon identifiers Lupinus nootkatensis Wikidata: Q1640398 Wikispecies: Lupinus nootkatensis CoL: 3WFJB EoL: 704003 EPPO: LUPNO EUNIS: 170589 GBIF: 2964525 GRIN: 22847 iNaturalist: 138900 IPNI: 145614-2 IRMNG: 11435302 ISC: 115406 ITIS: 26076 IUCN: 19893044 NatureServe: 2.139295 NBN: NBNSYS0000003202 NCBI: 53234 Observation.org: 135904 Open Tree of Life: 324927 Plant List: ild-8906 PLANTS: LUNO POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:145614-2 RHS: 10571 SANBI: 351-19 Tropicos: 13014360 VASCAN: 5813 WFO: wfo-0000213845

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lupinus nootkatensis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupinus_nootkatensis) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupinus_nootkatensis?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.