A weak perennial, that grows on damp acid heaths.
It is in flower from July to September and the
flowers only open fully when the sun shines...
About twenty or so flowering plants have been
found on Slop Bog.
Most on the damp areas on Western and Eastern
Enclosures,
The trumpet like flowers are a beautiful shade
of blue.
Sundew
A widespread insectivorous perennial of wet
heaths and moors.
The long narrow leaves which arise from the
base catch
various insects including dragonflies and damselflies.
The leaves are covered with sticky red tipped
gland-bearing hairs.
Once an insect is caught the leaves absorb the
soft parts of the insect.
Found growing on sphagnum moss around acid ponds
on Slop Bog.
Bog Aspodel
Will grow in the wettest parts of the heath,
usually in sphagnum moss. It flowers, from June
to August. Sometimes, turning areas of the heath
a bright yellow. After flowering, the fruits
turn bright orange. Flowering spikes up to 15
cm.
Look for them from the viewing platform on the
boardwalk.
From here you will see them around the edge
of the acid pools.
Cotton Grass
Favours
boggy ground with peaty,acid soils. Locally common.
The long conspicuous white cottony threads
on the fruits
makes the plant very conspicuous.
At Slop Bog it grows around the acid pools
near the boardwalk.
White Beaked Sedge
A perennial plant,
of boggy wet heaths, on acid soils.
In the South it is rather an uncommon plant.
Look for the small yellowish /brown spikelets,
between June and September.
Gorse
A very spiny
evergreen shrub, common and widespread,
usually on acid soils on heaths. Flowers for
most of the
year, but the bright yellow flowers are at
their best
from March to May.
Heather (Ling)
The main plant
found growing on heaths and moors. It flowers
from July to September, when it turns large
areas of heath a bright reddish-purple. A closer
look will reveal the real beauty of the small
delicate flowers. At Slop Bog it grows mainly
in silver Studded Blue, and Western Enclosures.
Bog Myrtle (Sweet Gale)
A deciduous bush growing up to four feet high.
It has a strong fragrant resinous smell.
The male catkins are long and orange in colour.
Flowers from April to May.
Locally common in Bogs, Fens, and wet places
on heaths.
The best place to see it at Slop Bog, is along
the edge of the boardwalk.
