Pitcher plants and cranberries are not always found at Northern Pennsylvania bogs, but we found both at a bog we visited today in mid-November. Walking through the bog was slow going, with spongy vegetation making for uncertain footing and unexpected dips into deeper water; our boots sometimes almost being sucked off our feet as we tried to take our next steps.

Sphagnum moss is the predominant plant in the bog.

Dead trees show that there was a change sometime in the past. Maybe a beaver dam caused them to die? Wild blueberry bushes are scattered about the drier edges of the bog.

The fine hairs on the inside of the Pitcher plants prevent insects from crawling out. The deep cups are filled with water.

These cranberries may be native, or they could have been planted decades ago to be farmed. I tasted one and it was wonderful! Not too tart, and very juicy!

Cup-shaped lichen were growing on a stump.

This lichen was tiny with bright red globs at the end of pale green spikes.

This is called Cotton Grass, although it is actually a sedge.

Bogs seem like other-worldly places, with their fascinating flora and fauna, and a challenge to navigate in, but there are  lots of exciting discoveries to be made!

Note: Location will remain unnamed at the request of the friend who showed us the site, for the protection of the sensitive plants that inhabit the bog.