INVASIVE SPECIES

CHEMARTS

Aalto University, Espoo, 2020
Minor studies

We talk about the sustainable use of materials, but at the same time, we burn away tons of plants that are unwanted on our grounds. Some plant species are known as Invasive Alien Species and are also classified as harmful. The reason for this may be their aggressive spreading and threat to fragile ecosystems. I choose one of these well-known unwanted plants, Large-leaved lupin (Lupinus polyphyllus), and try to find its useable features.
I divided the plant into different parts and performed experiments on its materials. Fibers, wooden stem parts, natural colors, together with MC 3% (Methyl cellulose), beeswax, and modified recipes from ChemArts Cookbook, I found new shapes of lupin. This process's aim is to give new perspectives to approach these unwanted plants.

Large-leaved lupine

An invasive alien plant that displaces roadside meadows:

The impressive-looking large-leaved lupine (Lupinus polyphyllos) was imported to Europe from North America. Within a few decades, it has spread along roadsides and railway lines to the whole of southern Finland, up to Rovaniemi. The large-leaved lupine is an aggressive competitor that quickly displaces declining meadow flora that has found a refuge in roadside meadows. Being a legume, the large-leaved lupine has bacteria in its roots that bind nitrogen and fertilize the soil, which further incapacitates the indigenous meadow flora.
The large-leaved lupine is difficult to eradicate. Recently it has been found to have spread from roadsides to meadows and esker forests.

Finland´s National Strategy on Invasive Alien Species available at, vieraslajit.fi

Lupin stems.

Lupin stem peels.

Cooking lupin stem peels.

Lupin stem peel fibers.

Lupin stem peel fiber fluff.

50% and 90% paper from lupin stem peel fiber pulp and wood pulp.

Lupin stems core.

Lupin stem cores dried.

Lupin stem core ground.

Lupin stem "dough".

Lupin stem core fine-ground

Test pieces made from lupin stem and MC mixture.

Test pieces made from lupin stem ground, strained peel pulp, MC and beeswax mixture.

Lupin flowers

Lupin flowers cooked in alum.

Testing color recipes.

Freeze dried lupin flower dye.

Lupin leaves.

Lupin leaves cooked.

Lupin leaf dye tests.

Freeze dried lupin leaf dye.

Lupin leaf paint and ink.

Lupin flower ink and paint.

Different natural based textiles and yarns dyed with lupin leaves.

Different natural based textiles and dyed with lupin flowers.

Outcomes

There could be a craft around lupines and other invasive species, so individual people are couraged to collect and use the flowers efficiently so that they won’t be left to the ground. Educating people at the same time as they are able to create something with their hands but also do a favor to the local landscape.

The color that natural sources provide is not homogenous, but it is rewarding to succeed with colors and see how easy it is to use natural colors without toxic chemicals. Fibers were one of the most interesting findings in my opinion. The fibers are very similar to nettle fiber.

Large-leaved lupin has a relative species, Sweet lupine (Lupinus Albus) which is cultivated for human food. If there are any similar properties with these two species, the craft around the lupin what I have performed, could be adapted to this cultivated species. Then if there are similarities, the side stream of this cultivated species could offer a source of material for these types of applications that I have tested.

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