What a unique flower this is! This year I had a chance to catch a glimpse of fields of it up in Sugar Hill, NH where they hold an annual festival in honor of it every year. If you're interested here is some info on the festival:
http://www.yankeemagazine.com/explore-new-england/sugar-hills-lupine-festival#_
Showy, elongate clusters of purple, pea-like flowers top the 1-2 ft. stems of this perennial lupine. The plant was once thought to deplete or wolf the mineral content of the soil; hence the genus name derived from the Latin lupus (wolf). Actually the plant and all the family enhances soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen into a useful form.
*You do not have to search in any downed branches or trees*