The plants growing on the bog are those that like wet, soggy conditions. And the plants in the area do vary depending on whether they are in the acid bog soils or further up the sloping hillsides that surround the Glen Ullin basin.

Plants in the bog have to be acid resistant and able to take root in the spongy, wet, oxygen poor soils. Sphagnum moss,  which is like a green, soggy sponge can be easily found. Bog cotton with its white, fluffy head can be recognised easily as can the bell heathers and the star like flowers of bog asphodel.

Less well known plants are butterwort, bladderwort and the sundews.  Sundews are small carniverous plants that attract insects into their sticky centres and devour them! This is their way of getting a good meal when there is so little nourishment available in the acid soils!

Sphagnum Moss

This plants acts like a sponge and retains water. It is perhaps the most important plant on the bog.

Bog Asphodel

This is a pretty yellow flower only found in bogs.

Bell Heather

This is the popular with bees, and some birds feed on the shoots.

Bog Cotton

The flowers of this, as the name suggests, look like Cotton-wool.

Bog Myrtle

This is a shrub, whose leaves have a pleasant fresh scent, which is reputed to repel midges.

Sundew

This plant traps insects on its leaves, which it then digests.

Ling Heather

Another variety of heather.