Flora

If Burns Bog is known for one thing, it would have to be its diverse mix of flora and fauna. Flora is plant life characteristic of a specific region, period or special environment. Fauna, by contrast, is animal life characteristic of a specific region, period or special environment.

A certain amount of mystery lingers among the plants and animals that live in Burns Bog. After all, it houses one of the most diverse mixes of rare and endangered species in the country.

Burns Bog flora (plants)

Is Burns Bog a South Sea Paradise? Hardly. But scientists have likened the area to a northern island in a southern climate. Most of the plants and animals found in Burns Bog would normally be found farther north in either cold, subarctic tundra or alpine zones rather than snuggled within a temperate, West Coast environment. Winter’s freezing temperatures are present only for a few months.

The crowberry, cloudberry and velvet-leaved blueberry are generally found in colder climates, but have adapted to the bog’s climate. Burns Bog is the southernmost destination for these plants.

Here's a look at what sprouts among the moss.

Labrador Tea – A shrub that grows prolifically in Burns Bog. Its leaves have medicinal benefits and is used by the Haida Indians as a tea to cure sore throats and colds. This shrub was an important tea plant for early settlers in Canada.

Cloudberry – A rare relative of the raspberry.

Round-Leaved Sundew – This small, carnivorous plant often grows unnoticed amid sphagnum moss. Its sticky, red tentacled leaves catch and trap many small bugs. If an unsuspecting insect finds its way onto the sundew’s leaves, it is eventually dissolved by the plant’s fluids and digested.

Velvet-Leaved Blueberry – Black bears love to munch on these, as well as other species of blueberries.

Bog Laurel – This plant a beautiful pink flower, but also very poisonous to both animals and humans.

These are just a few of many exotic and rare plants that inhabit the bog. With all of the beauty and rarity found living there, it is no doubt Burns Bog is a sanctuary of botanical treasures. Its landscape is a medley of water, plants, trees and, of course, moss.

Among Burns Bog’s most well-known fauna is sphagnum moss. These are exceptional, highly unusual plants. Growth and decay occur concurrently, which makes for very resilient mats on the floor of the bog. Color can vary between green, gold or reddish lawns similar to a cushion. It grows upward at the tips, while dying and accumulating at the bottom, creating a cushion that can grow to about 6-10 cm in height.

Sphagnum moss is antibiotic, meaning it tends to prevent or inhibit life. This explains why plants growing from the moss appear stunted. For example, a 70-year old tree may grow to only one meter in height. Because of its capability to absorb, the moss was once used for diapers and also for surgical dressings in World War I.

Sphagnum moss changes the hydrology of the bog because it blocks the drainage of water, yet it can still soak up the water it needs to keep the ground wet all year long. It is so absorbent that it can hold up to 30 times its weight in water. In fact, because the dome of the bog is higher than its surrounding areas, water will not run into it. Rainwater is stored inside the dome and seeps into drier places when needed.