Mer Bleue Bog, a typical peat bog, in eastern Ontario

Carnivorous plants are often found in bogs. Capturing insects provides nitrogen and phosphorus, which are usually scarce in such conditions.

A bog is a wetland where peat builds up. Peat is layers of dead plant material—often mosses, in most cases, Sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, quagmire and muskeg.

Frequently, as the illustration on the right shows, they are covered in Ericaceous shrubs rooted in the Sphagnum moss and peat. The gradual buildup of decayed plant material in a bog forms a carbon sink.