It’s officially Seashore lupine (Lupinus littoralis) season on Wave Cut Ranch! Seashore lupine has definitely become the coastal prairie mascot species of our ranch, bursting through the grasslands of the marine terrace pastures in the mid-spring, carpeting the ranch in blues and purples.

This joyous bloom burst was a total surprise to us, as the dormant native seedbank of our coastal prairie began to emerge following the mass removal of acres of Scotch broom and Eucalyptus groves in the restoration process on Wave Cut Ranch over the last three years.

And now, this year, we have been doubly surprised and delighted to find a population of Silvery Blue butterflies (Glaucopsyche lygdamus) utilizing the lupine fields as habitat, and perhaps as host or food plants.

Here is a link to the Wave Cut Ranch iNaturalist page, with photos and descriptions of these species, and much much more found on the ranch!