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