Pitcher Plant Bog

"Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain."-Henry David Thoreau

Pitcher plants are carnivorous plants. Carnivorous means that the plants feed on insects they trap in their tube-shaped leaves. Once insects get in these tubes, they are trapped and can't get out. These plants are found in places where water is close to the surface and the soil has few nutrients. These plants also need lots of sunshine. Fire is helpful because it kills and removes other plants that might shade the pitcher plants out. Many other interesting plants and animals live in and around these areas.

I have driven past the sign to the Pitcher plant bog hundreds of times and never stopped. Finally the other day, the girls and I stopped to investigate. What a beautiful place! There's a long boardwalk with several informational signs that leads past the pitcher plants all the way to the river. We enjoyed it so much that we're going back and this time we're taking a picnic lunch and our nature journals.