Jim Popenoe |
River lupine Every few years, river lupines bloom profusely in the Bald Hills prairies of Redwood National Park. Behind the lupines are Oregon white oaks and, behind them, a mountain slope covered with conifers. Bald Hills vegetation is diverse. "River lupine" is a curious name for a plant so abundant in a grassland. While river lupine does occur along streams, it ranges much more widely. It exploits soil disturbance. Some disturbances that favor this species are flooding along streams, earth slippage (as in the Bald Hills) and even human activities such as road building. |