Plants found growing in the open bog area of Cranberry Glades lack a substrate like soil with a high nutrient availability. Since the bog is filled with sphagnum moss in varying stages of decay, there is nothing in the reach of the plants that can be considered “soil” in the common sense of the word.
Because of the reduced nutrient availability in the bogs, some carnivorous plants like pitcher plants (Sarracenia purpurea venosa) and sundews (Drosera rotundifolia) have colonized. Because of their ability to capture and breakdown insects, these carnivorous plants can supplement their nutrient needs for survival in the peat bogs. The plants break the insects, spiders and other small prey items down and extract the high nitrogen compounds from their bodies.