Spanning a generous 35 acres, this bog invites visitors to wander along its boardwalk loop—a path that feels almost magical, winding through lush and mysterious terrain. My own journey to this secluded place held a singular purpose: the hope of finding the delicate pink lady’s slippers and perhaps glimpsing the striking blooms of the purple pitcher plant. Yet, to my delight, the bog revealed far more than I had ever imagined.
One plant in particular took me by surprise. I’d brushed past it several times, assuming I knew it well. Only when I used the Seek app for identification did I realize my mistake—it was poison sumac. Living two hours south, I was familiar only with the harmless variety, and the leaves were deceivingly similar. But as I looked closer, a key difference emerged: the poison sumac had clusters of white or green berries hanging downward, unlike the harmless variety’s upright red berries.
The boardwalk, though not long, invited lingering at every step. Though it could be walked in minutes, I spent nearly two hours, captivated by the sights around me. The pink lady’s slippers were in bloom, their delicate beauty casting a soft glow over the bog. With the Seek and iNaturalist apps in hand, I delved further into the world around me, discovering new plants at every turn and feeling as though I’d stepped into nature’s hidden gallery, each encounter a gift waiting to be found.
- European Royal Fern
- Cinnamon Fern
- Water Hemlock
- Water Horsetail
- Poison Sumac
- Canada Mayflower
- Water Horsetail
- Orchard Grass
- Green Arrow Arum
- Pink Lady’s Slippers
- Sensitive Fern
- Bladder Sedge
- Tufted Loosestrife
