Plants

Bog Moss (Sphagnum spp.)

Bog Moss

Bog moss or Sphagnum moss can be found on all three types of peatland and is one of the most important plants found on bogs. It absorbs up to 20 times its dry weight of water, increases soil acidity, and is the major component in lowland peat. Its ability to absorb liquids and its antiseptic qualities resulted in its use as a dressing for wounds during the First World War. Sphagnum can grow on the mineral poor surface of the peatland because it has the ability to take in minerals from rainwater. It exchanges hydrogen ions from its cells for the minerals in the surrounding rainwater. It is this export of hydrogen ions that results in the acidic nature of bogs. The ability to use the minerals in rainwater has allowed Sphagnum species to dominate peatlands and to perpetuate the conditions to which it is so ideally suited. The different species of Sphagnum mosses provide an array of colours from lighter yellows and greens to deeper reds and browns. This provides the variety of colours that characterise the peatland landscape. Common species including Sphagnum capillifolium form raised mounds called hummocks, while Sphadnum magellanicum grows on the flat lawns and other species like Sphagnum cuspidatum grows in the bog pools.