Most of us have taken at least one photo of a lupine. If not taken a photo, we’ve stopped for a moment to appreciate their vibrancy, elegance, and resilience; growing along steep slopes and wisping across great grasslands.
Lupines are undoubtedly one of the most striking wildflowers that bloom during spring, yet there is so much more to them than just beauty. By only appreciating their visual intricacies, I believe we’ve done them a disservice — we’ve neglected getting to know them on a more intimate and sacred level.
Since various lupine species are vastly common across the world, I have chosen a single type to learn more about and dig deeper into.
Lupinus nanus
“Sky Lupine, Field Lupine, Dwarf Lupine, Douglas’ Annual Lupine” — You pick (no, not literally!).
Lupinus is a Legume – you know – like beans.
However, lupinus nanus is not a plant that you can simply pick and eat. It possesses an alkaloid that can be potentially poisonous to humans and other animals (well, unless you.…..keep reading).
The land that belongs (or should) to the Pomo Kashaya people was once flooded with lupinus nanus. This Northern California region was abundant with life and people that understood exactly how to love and appreciate their home. The Kashaya people were intimate with every plant and animal that grew and roamed the hills and grasslands, especially lupinus nanus. Though the plant was poisonous raw, they knew that if you soaked their beans in salt water, it would make them completely edible. Thus, providing them with a nourishing meal to eat.
Yet food was not the only aspect of these lupines that were sacred to the Kashaya people.
Every year, during the turn of spring into summer, the Kashaya people celebrated with a festival of strawberries. For them, the strawberry was a symbol for the change of seasons and abundance of food to eat.
During these festivals, they adorned their heads with wreaths made of lupines.
The prominent vibrancy of red strawberries with the beautiful clash of bright blue and purple lupines, in my eyes, must have been as delicious to see as the strawberries were to taste.
Eating, adorning, and living amongst lupines was a way of life. The word “sacred” was not used lightly. The value of native plants, such as lupines, was not taken for granted.
I cannot say that I don’t take these native plants for granted. After all, I took that photo up above — and I did it without knowing the importance of the plant beyond its beauty.
However, what I can say is that every single natural thing that surrounds us has its importance beyond its looks, even things that we deem as aesthetic-less. The key is taking the time to find out what that importance is — and never taking it for granted.
Though I do believe seeing something we perceive as beautiful has a way to nourish our soul, I also believe we need to give as much as we take.
By honoring the sacredness of our plants, animals, and earth, we can better understand their worth and value — beyond what they provide to us alone.
By understanding their worth outside of us, we can better rewire our brains to protect them, nourish them, and help them grow and thrive for years and years to come.
In my end, I want there to be new beginnings….even if those beginnings aren’t for me.
Sources:
Indigenious Languages: Pomo Culture — https://indigenouspomolanguage.weebly.com/pomo-culture.html
Native American Ethnobotany Database — http://naeb.brit.org/uses/21334/
Fort Ross Conservancy: Kashaya People — https://www.fortross.org/kashaya.htm