Arboretum opens new bog exhibit

A new pitcher plant exhibit is open at the Crosby Arboretum/Mississippi State near Picayune.

A 335-foot wooden walkway through a bog allows visitors to see wildflowers and learn about the array of insect-trapping plants found only in bogs. Illustrated interpretative signs explain points of interest.

Because less than 3 percent of the original Gulf Coast pitcher plant bogs remain in existence, the arboretum created the exhibit to showcase the marshland.

"Pitcher plant bogs are among the most intriguing and threatened plant communities in the Coastal Plain," according to arboretum senior curator Bob Brzuszek. "Filled with unusual species of carnivorous plants, orchids and numerous wildflowers, pitcher plant bogs are an exciting and colorful part of our area."

He added that the bogs contain the highest levels of grassland biodiversity in North America.

The Crosby Arboretum is open Wednesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults, $1 for children. It is located at Exit 4 of Interstate 59 in Picayune.

For more information, telephone (662) 799-2311.