from a distance, the hillsides of the skálamelur national forest in husavik, iceland appear to be covered in purple dew. a closer look reveals that the color comes not from condensation, but from something less ephemeral, and whose presence across the country has become the subject of provocative debate. the purple hue comes from lupines densely growing along the hills. 

alaska lupines were widely introduced to iceland in the 1940s to help address the problem of erosion. over decades, the pretty purple flower has become an icon of icelandic summer and an attraction in the tourism industry, the primary driver of iceland’s economy. but in the ‘80s, scientists began sharing findings that the beloved plant was stifling the growth of low-lying native fauna like bilberries and dwarf-shrub heaths. today, iceland’s environment agency supports lupine eradication efforts in several areas across the country.

“lupines release thousands and thousands of seeds from their pods every summer,” says jessie johnson, a naturalist with lindblad expeditions who has spent significant time in both iceland and alaska. though icelandic officials originally introduced alaska lupine because of the similarities between alaskan and icelandic ecosystems, the plant has proliferated in iceland to a far greater level than what is seen in the large u.s. state.

johnson pointed out that iceland lacks something that alaska has that prevents the lupine from spreading – old growth rainforest. “the majority of southeast alaska is covered by the tongass rainforest. you essentially only see lupines surrounding rivers, or in open prairies that are flood zones.” most trees don’t grow in flood zones, and in areas dense with trees, the canopy prevents lupines from accessing the sunlight they need to survive.

many icelanders today don’t remember a time without prolific lupine. stefan thorgeirsson, an icelander born and raised in reykjavik, is a cultural specialist for lindblad expeditions’ voyages in iceland. “i spent a lot of summers in the westfjords,” he says. he can’t remember a time when the lupines weren’t a part of that northwestern landscape.

but the purple landscapes, consistent throughout thorgeirsson’s lifetime, didn’t always look that way. when settlers first arrived in the ninth century, between 25 and 40 percent of iceland’s land surface was covered by forests, according to scientific estimates shared by iceland’s forest service. settlers razed the forests, making way for grazing livestock they had brought ashore, like sheep. the forest service says that 95 percent of the land’s original forest cover was lost as a result of deforestation that fueled a supply of building materials, livestock fodder, and charcoal. 

depleted forests and volcanic soil, which erodes easily, gave way to widespread erosion across iceland. in the early 1900s, the soil conservation service of iceland (scsi) was created to address this issue. a year later, the icelandic forestry service (ifs) was established to support scsi’s efforts, and to bolster a forestry industry in the country that would help with aims of aiding independence efforts. in 1944, when iceland became independent from denmark, the country established a land restoration fund as a part of a widespread push for revegetation.

though lupines had originally been introduced to iceland in the early 1900s, interest in the plant was limited. in the 1940s, hakon bjarnason, then the director of the ifs, brought back lupine seeds after a trip to alaska. lupines, whose roots attract nitrogen-fixing bacteria, help enrich soil and prevent the land from falling away. bjarnason led an effort to plant lupine along iceland’s southern coast and lauded the plant’s benefits in local media. the government distributed seeds to citizens around the country in places like gas stations to encourage its spread. for decades, the plant was considered a win for iceland’s erosion problems. 

but in the ‘80s and ‘90s, ecologists and conservationists began raising concerns around the invasive plant. thorgeirsson says that when lupine were introduced to iceland, “people probably didn’t have the same understanding as compared to today, what we know about the ecosystem and the flora in iceland.”

globally, principles of ecology and the human relationship with nature had evolved over time. ideas that propelled people to manipulate nature in efforts to enhance it came into question. many began to realize that greener was not necessarily better. research showed that lupines prevented lower lying plants from growing, similar to the way trees prevent lupines from growing in densely forested areas in alaska. in the early ‘90s, iceland’s nature conservation council started removing lupine in skaftafell national park, one of the first places where lupine had been intentionally planted in the nation.

“we want to say things are all good or all bad,” says johnson, “and that is almost never true when it comes to the environment.” as with most domains, it’s more nuanced than that. studies have found increased presence of earthworms in some areas where lupines are present, indicating good soil health. others have shown that in addition to preventing native plants from growing, lupines alter land that would typically be used as habitats for migratory birds. ultimately, the introduction of lupine to iceland is relatively recent, so research remains limited. johnson says, “we don’t have another case study of this species of lupine being introduced to this barren landscape,” 

johnson says the lupines raise a question of baselines – “what baseline are we working towards? and is it even possible?” since humans first arrived in iceland, they’ve been changing the landscape. global climate impacts also come into play. iceland’s glaciers have retreated significantly and are expected to be completely gone within 200 years, leaving open questions about the future of land management in the country. for thorgeirsson, the future outlook of lupine is hopeful. “if we can just maintain it and protect sensitive areas, then i think the lupine can stay.” 

editor’s note: lindblad expeditions, our planet forward storyfest competition partner, made this series possible by providing winners with an experiential learning opportunity aboard one of their ships. we thank lindblad expeditions for their continued support of our project.