The Lupine are blooming

Come to the North Shore for the colors! No, not the fall show of red and orange, but the early summer show of purple, pink and blue. The lupines are at their peak right now, all along Highway 61, and it's gorgeous.

This photo was taken from the passenger seat of the car as we cruised back from a hike at Split Rock today.

I've heard some folks say that the lupine is their favorite North Shore wildflower. I can see why. Old fishermen's homesteads are ringed by them. They are virtually untransplantable and difficult to grow in a Twin Cities garden.

Of course, they aren't a native flower, but who cares? In lupine season, it feels like we're all native.