When you hear the word swamp or bog, beauty is not often the first thing that comes to mind. In folklore and legend, these places were often perceived as spooky spots. But Connecticut's bogs are quite captivating, beautiful in their own right, and home to some pretty amazing carnivorous plants.
For as long as humans have existed, swamps and bogs have carried an otherworldly ambiance in our minds. Many cultures believed them to be sacred ancient places.
These rare places also conjure up images of pixies and fairies who might be hiding among the fallen deadwood and green shoots of plant growth. Then the mesmerizing bog almost seems magical.
A bog starts out as a wetland where precipitation is the only source of water. Over time, plants begin growing from the edges towards the center covering the surface of the water.
Different kinds of peat moss soak up water 15 to 30 times its own weight and create a spongy floor. Intertwined with the moss you will find carnivorous plants.
Pitcher plants are half filled with water and when open trap insects forcing them to drown in the liquid held inside. The bugs then decompose provide nutrients not found in the bog to the pitcher plant.
Sundew has tiny leaves that release a sticky juice able to trap an insect and steal the nutrients from its body.
While we as humans are much too large for the bog plants to consume, there are still legends and myths claiming a few individuals have walked into these forested places never to be seen again.
In Connecticut, bogs are unique and not commonly found. But while hiking in the woods, you may stumble upon one in Norfolk, Salisbury, Bethany, Litchfield, Chester, and elsewhere.
Have you ever experienced any of Connecticut's bogs? Is this a field trip you would want to take? Let us know in the comments section below.
To enjoy the Nutmeg State's outdoors, even more, check out the Great Mountain Forest to see a storybook setting right here in Connecticut.
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