Last week our local plein aire group met at a house with a view of the beach meadows, Icy Passage, and Pleasant Island. I usually try to do some landscape sketching during these outings because that’s a subject I otherwise avoid, but that day I was just more interested in the close-up world.

Kantákw—Nootka lupine—caught my attention first. They’re abundant out in the uplift meadows: big billowing masses of leaves, topped at this time of year with a second flush of purple/blue/white blossoms, and freckled with seed pods drying and browning as they mature. Nearby, beach pea plants sprawl among the mosses and climb ryegrass stems; their pods too are heading toward ripeness. I decided to spend some time observing and comparing these two fabaceous neighbors.

Lingít plant names are from Tlingit Dictionary, edited by X’unei Lance Twitchell. Gunalchéesh for this wonderful resource.