Iceland isn’t exactly well-known for its lush vegetation and diverse flora. I mean, it’s mainly moss, some puny trees, and a lot of yellowish grass. One flower, however, has managed to take over Iceland in no time: the bushel of purple magnificence known as the lupin. You know, the one that actually manages to bring some colour to the sometimes rather monochrome island. If you thought that all Icelanders shared your enthusiasm for this flamboyant flower, though, you thought wrong. Iceland is split into pro and anti-lupin camps, and they are waging a bitter war.
Floral Friends?
Members of Facebook group ‘Vinir lúpínunnar’ (‘Friends Of The Lupins’) mainly share idyllic pictures of lupins to be admired. Moreover, some use the group to offer lupin seeds to fellow lupin-lovers in order to bring a dash of colour to their neighbourhoods.
The aim is clear: Let the lupins take over Icelandic wasteland! Their main argument is that the lupins not only look pretty in your selfies, but actively change the ground from eroding—a problem that can be traced back to the lack of trees—to stable and fertile.
Floral Foes!
But while the spread of flowers to maintain Iceland’s topography might seem to be a reasonable ambition, the opposition is determined to fight back. The government and their supporters claim that the lupins overshoot the mark, as they eradicate other native plants, such as the beautiful green-greyish moss, and excitingly unique grass-species. They even go as far as stating that the lupin explosion might also affect the quality of life of Reykjavík’s inhabitants in a negative way, as the lupins make it difficult for citizens to enjoy pure, unspoilt Icelandic nature. Beware, Reykjavíkingar, as you might soon find yourself drowning in a sea of soil-obscuring lupins.
While the government continues to fight against the lupin invasion, they recently had to admit that the costly and somehow never ending fight might be pointless, to which the Vinir Lúpínunnar promptly responded with a triumphant “WE WON!”
Power to the lupins!
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