Vascular Plants of the Bog

The Orono Bog Boardwalk traverses several different peatland environments and types of vegetation, providing a rich cross section of wetland plants.

Below is a list of vascular plant species you can see from the boardwalk. The list will be updated periodically. If you see plant species from the boardwalk that are not on the list, please inform Dr. Christopher Campbell. The numbers that follow each species indicate the interpretive station and nearby stretch of the boardwalk (and vegetation zone) where you can see that plant. The map elsewhere on this web site shows station positions relative to vegetation zones. Of course, plant species can bloom or vary in appearance as the seasons progress. Look carefully.

The plants are listed alphabetically–first by common name and then by scientific name. For those interested in learning more about these plants in Maine, visit the website of the University of Maine Herbarium.

Vascular plant species that can be seen from the boardwalk, indicating locations of species. Alphabetized by Latin name and by common name

Station numbers

1 Mixed wooded fen – broad-leaved deciduous forest with scattered evergreens
2 Conifer wooded fen – black spruce and tamarack forest
3 Upland island – conifer forest with some broad-leaved trees
4 Wooded shrub heath – low shrubs with scattered dwarfed spruces and tamaracks
5 Mosaic of moss lawns and wooded shrub heath hummocks
6 Mosaic of moss lawns and wooded shrub heath hummocks
7 Mosaic of wooded shrub heath and forested bog

Listing by Common Name

Common Name Latin Name Location
alder-leaved buckthorn Rhamnus alnifolia 1
American bur-reed Sparganium americanum 1
American marsh willow-herb Epilobium leptophyllum 1 2
balsam fir Abies balsamea 1 2 3
black ash Fraxinus nigra 1
black chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa 4 5 6 7
black huckleberry Gaylussacia baccata 2 3 4 5 6
black spruce Picea mariana 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
blue-bead lily Clintonia borealis 1
bluejoint grass Calamagrostis canadensis 1 2
bog laurel Kalmia polifolia 4 5 6 7
bog rosemary Andromeda polifolia var. glaucophylla 4 5 6 7
bog sedge Carex magellanica var. irrigua 2
boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum 1 2
bristle-stalked sedge Carex leptalea 1 2 3
bristly rose Rosa nitida 1 2
brownish sedge Carex brunnescens 1 2 3
buckbean Menyanthes trifoliata 2 3
bunchberry Cornus canadensis 1 2 3
Canada mayflower Maianthemum canadense 1 2
cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea 1 2 3
common flat-topped goldenrod Euthamia graminifolia 1
creeping snowberry Gaultheria hispidula 2 3
devil’s beggar ticks Bidens frondosa 1 2
dragon’s mouth (orchid) Arethusa bulbosa
drooping sedge Carex crinita 1
flat-topped white aster Doellingeria umbellata 1
fowl mannagrass Glyceria striata 1
goldthread Coptis trifolia 1 2 3
grass-pink Calopogon tuberosus 4 5 6 7
gray birch Betula populifolia 1 3 5
halberd-leaved tearthumb Persicaria arifolia 1
highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum 2 4 5 6
Indian pipe Monotropa uniflora 3
Jack-in-the-pulpit Arisamea tryphyllum 1
kidney-leaved violet Viola renifolia 1
Labrador tea Rhododendron groenlandicum 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
leatherleaf Chamaedaphne calyculata 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
low rough aster Eurybia radula 1 2 3
low sweet blueberry Vaccinium angustifolium 3 4
mad-dog skullcap Scutellaria lateriflora 1
marsh St. John’swort Triadenum virginicum 1
meadow sweet Spiraea alba var. latifolia 1 2
mountain fly honeysuckle Lonicera villosa 2 3
mountain holly Nemopanthus mucronatus 3 4 5 6 7
naked bladderwort Utricularia cornuta 4 5 6
northern three-lobed bedstraw Galium trifidum 1
northern blue flag iris Iris versicolor 1 2
northern water-horehound Lycopus uniflorus 1
northern white cedar Thuja occidentalis 1 2
orange touch-me-not Impatiens capensis 1
pitcher plant Sarracenia purpurea 2 4 5 6 7
red maple Acer rubrum 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
red oak Quercus rubra 3
red osier dogwood Cornus sericea 1
rhodora Rhododendron canadense 3 4 5 6 7
rose pogonia Pogonia ophioglossoides 4 5 6 7
round-leaved sundew Drosera rotundifolia 5 6
royal fern Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis 1 2 3
sensitive fern Onoclea sensibilis 1
sheep laurel Kalmia angustifolia 2 3 4 5 6 7
skunk cabbage Symplocarpus foetidus 1 2 3 4 7
small cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccus 4 5 6
spatulate-leaved sundew Drosera intermedia 4 5 6 7
speckled alder Alnus incana ssp. rugosa 1
starflower Trientalis borealis 1 2 3
swamp candles Lysimachia terrestris 1
swamp dewberry Rubus hispidus 1 2
swamp fern Thelypteris palustris 1 2
tall cotton-grass Eriophorum angustifolium 5 6
tall meadow-rue Thalictrum pubescens 1
tamarack or larch Larix laricina 2 3 4 5 6 7
tawny cotton-grass Eriophorum virginicum 2 3 4 5 6 7
three-leaved false Solomon’s seal Maianthemum trifolium 3 4 7
three-seeded sedge Carex trisperma 2
tufted loosestrife Lysimachia thyrsiflora 1 2
tussock cotton-grass Eriophorum vaginatum var. spissum 4 5 6
water dock Rumex orbiculatus 1
water parsnip Sium sauve 1
white beak-rush Rhynchospora alba 4 5 6 7
white pine Pinus strobus 5
white turtlehead Chelone glabra 1
white-fringed orchid Platanthera blephariglottis 3 4 7
wild calla Calla palustris 1
wild sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis 1 2 3
winterberry Ilex verticillata 1 2 3
witherod Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides 4 7
wolf-claw clubmoss Lycopodium clavatum 3
woodland horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum 3 4 7

 

Listing by Scientific Name

Latin Name Common Name Location
Abies balsamea balsam fir 1 2 3
Acer rubrum red maple 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Alnus incana ssp. rugosa speckled alder 1
Andromeda polifolia var. glaucophylla bog rosemary 4 5 6 7
Aralia nudicaulis wild sarsaparilla 1 2 3
Arethusa bulbosa dragon’s mouth (orchid)
Arisamea tryphyllum Jack-in-the-pulpit 1
Aronia melanocarpa black chokeberry 4 5 6 7
Betula populifolia gray birch 1 3 5
Bidens frondosa devil’s beggar ticks 1 2
Calamagrostis canadensis bluejoint grass 1 2
Calla palustris wild calla 1
Calopogon tuberosus grass-pink 4 5 6 7
Carex brunnescens brownish sedge 1 2 3
Carex crinita drooping sedge 1
Carex leptalea bristle-stalked sedge 1 2 3
Carex magellanica var. irrigua bog sedge 2
Carex trisperma three-seeded sedge 2
Chamaedaphne calyculata leatherleaf 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Chelone glabra white turtlehead 1
Clintonia borealis blue-bead lily 1
Coptis trifolia goldthread 1 2 3
Cornus canadensis bunchberry 1 2 3
Cornus sericea red osier dogwood 1
Doellingeria umbellata flat-topped white aster 1
Drosera intermedia spatulate-leaved sundew 4 5 6 7
Drosera rotundifolia round-leaved sundew 5 6
Epilobium leptophyllum American marsh willow-herb 1 2
Equisetum sylvaticum woodland horsetail 3 4 7
Eriophorum angustifolium tall cotton-grass 5 6
Eriophorum vaginatum var. spissum tussock cotton-grass 4 5 6
Eriophorum virginicum tawny cotton-grass 2 3 4 5 6 7
Eupatorium perfoliatum boneset 1 2
Eurybia radula low rough aster 1 2 3
Euthamia graminifolia common flat-topped goldenrod 1
Fraxinus nigra black ash 1
Galium trifidum northern three-lobed bedstraw 1
Gaultheria hispidula creeping snowberry 2 3
Gaylussacia baccata black huckleberry 2 3 4 5 6
Glyceria striata fowl mannagrass 1
Ilex verticillata winterberry 1 2 3
Impatiens capensis orange touch-me-not 1
Iris versicolor northern blue flag iris 1 2
Kalmia angustifolia sheep laurel 2 3 4 5 6 7
Kalmia polifolia bog laurel 4 5 6 7
Larix laricina tamarack or larch 2 3 4 5 6 7
Lonicera villosa mountain fly honeysuckle 2 3
Lycopodium clavatum wolf-claw clubmoss 3
Lycopus uniflorus northern water-horehound 1
Lysimachia terrestris swamp candles 1
Lysimachia thyrsiflora tufted loosestrife 1 2
Maianthemum canadense Canada mayflower 1 2
Maianthemum trifolium three-leaved false Solomon’s seal 3 4 7
Menyanthes trifoliata buckbean 2 3
Monotropa uniflora Indian pipe 3
Nemopanthus mucronatus mountain holly 3 4 5 6 7
Onoclea sensibilis sensitive fern 1
Osmunda cinnamomea cinnamon fern 1 2 3
Osmunda regalis var. spectabilis royal fern 1 2 3
Persicaria arifolia halberd-leaved tearthumb 1
Picea mariana black spruce 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Pinus strobus white pine 5
Platanthera blephariglottis white-fringed orchid 3 4 7
Pogonia ophioglossoides rose pogonia 4 5 6 7
Quercus rubra red oak 3
Rhamnus alnifolia alder-leaved buckthorn 1
Rhododendron canadense rhodora 3 4 5 6 7
Rhododendron groenlandicum Labrador tea 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Rhynchospora alba white beak-rush 4 5 6 7
Rosa nitida bristly rose 1 2
Rubus hispidus swamp dewberry 1 2
Rumex orbiculatus water dock 1
Sarracenia purpurea pitcher plant 2 4 5 6 7
Scutellaria lateriflora mad-dog skullcap 1
Sium sauve water parsnip 1
Sparganium americanum American bur-reed 1
Spiraea alba var. latifolia meadow sweet 1 2
Symplocarpus foetidus skunk cabbage 1 2 3 4 7
Thalictrum pubescens tall meadow-rue 1
Thelypteris palustris swamp fern 1 2
Thuja occidentalis northern white cedar 1 2
Triadenum virginicum marsh St. John’swort 1
Trientalis borealis starflower 1 2 3
Utricularia cornuta naked bladderwort 4 5 6
Vaccinium angustifolium low sweet blueberry 3 4
Vaccinium corymbosum highbush blueberry 2 4 5 6
Vaccinium oxycoccus small cranberry 4 5 6
Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides witherod 4 7
Viola renifolia kidney-leaved violet 1