Bog cotton

JupiterKid

I was on a drive through the Wicklow Mountains yesterday evening - such a stunning day - and I couldn't help but notice a veneer of white over the blanket bogs along the Sally Gap/Glencree and Military roads. The first thought I had was - oh, this must be what they call "bog cotton."

But was this actually big cotton? It was like a white fluffy material on top of stalks on the bog. And how come there is so much this year? I've never seen so much ever before and I thought the hot weather might have something to do with it?

It was a lovely sight!

Judge

Yes, it's bog cotton and there does seem to be an awful lot of it this year. I suspect that this has more to do with the very long cold period we had over the winter rather than anything to do with the hot summer. Bog cotton is particularly resilient to the cold so it's likely a proportionately greater number of bog cotton plants survived the winter compared with other plant species on the bogs and is now reaping the rewards of having less competition from these other species during the growing season. A nice example of natural selection in action. It's good news for our bogs as well as bog cotton is very good for regenerating peat.

Alun

Definitely bog cotton .. as Judge says, it seems to be particularly prevalent this year for some reason. A factor in it appearing more obvious may also be that we've had a lot of dry weather corresponding with it's flowering period so it stayed nice and white and fluffy. If it gets rained on heavily it can look very bedraggled.

.243

if you think theres loads up around there,you should see the the bogland down along the m6,
its like a coating of snow in places

norrie rugger

Our turf is covered in the stuff.