Trembling in summer breezes, bog cotton brightens the Irish landscape. These fluffy, feathery blooms are found where their name suggests, bang smack in the middle of Ireland’s beautiful bogs.
Ireland’s bogs and peatlands may not hold precious memories for those who were forced as kids to cut and stack turf, but trust me Ireland’s bogs are unimaginably spectacular.
The Bog Enhanced Colors Of The Irish Landscape:
At first glance visitors may not appreciate the fact the palate of the Irish landscape is made richer by our bogs.
These peatlands add a wide range of pigments to Irish hillsides from deep, rich purples with brownish hues, to forty shades of brilliant green.
Words fail to describe the brilliance of nature’s Irish greens, from soft sages to the brightest of pea greens.
But bog cotton adds another dimension to this picture, texturing the landscape, just like Donegal tweed, woven with love.
Bog cotton grows in boggy meadows, with white gossamer cotton heads swaying in summer breezes, or drooping under the weight of soft day mists.
Usually appreciated at a distance, a densely blooming meadow can resemble a snowy field, right in the middle of the warmest months.
Bog Cotton – A First Cousin Of Real Cotton?
Bog Cotton truly does resemble cotton.
Despite the fact it lacks the tensile strength of true cotton our ancestors used this Irish silk to fabricate candle wicks and many an Irish man and woman rested their heads on a pillow stuffed with bog cotton.
In the 19th century bog cotton was even mixed with wool to make cloth, carpets and roofing felt.
Bog Cotton Or Cottongrass?
Botanists may prefer to call it cottongrass, not bog cotton, but to me, this beautiful Irish wildflower will always be bog cotton.
Now, I’m not going to share a litany of scientific knowledge and botanical facts about this sedge plant which is native to the Emerald Isle.
What mesmerizes me is the symbolism of this simple plant with single stalks balancing cotton-like flowers, that remind me of a hare’s tail, or an old man’s hair blowing in the wind.
Up close, the beauty of bog cotton can be truly appreciated.
Séamus Heaney’s Bog Poems:
One Irish man who acknowledged the terrible beauty and symbolism of the Irish bog was poet Séamus Heaney (1939 – 2013).
In 1995 he won the Nobel Prize for literature for his poems “of lyrical beauty and ethical depth” (Nobel Foundation, 1995).
Seamus Heaney described the bog as a “symbol of the Irish psyche.”
His bog poems describe the flow of bog history, from hoarder of precious antiquities and jeweled chalices, to burial grounds of ancient bog men and, in more recent times, victims of Northern Ireland’s terrible struggles.
The depth and symbolism of Heaney’s bog poetry is far beyond the scope of this simple blog post, but let me simply remind you how the vegetation of the bog inspired the poet’s imagination.
These words from his poem “Kinship” remind me of the life giving forces of the bog, and make me think of dormant bog cotton seeds, waiting for the first hint of spring to start the cycle of life again …
“Ruminant around,
digestion of mollusc
and seed-pod,
deep pollen bin.”
~ Séamus Heaney, 1975
Bog Cotton by Michael Longley:
Another Northern Irish poet Michael Longley wrote a poem entitled “Bog Cotton.” Here’s an excerpt …
“It hangs on by a thread, denser than thistledown,
Reluctant to fly, a weather vane that traces
The flow of cloud shadow over monotonous bog –
And useless too, though it might well bring to mind
The plumpness of pillows, the staunching of wounds,…”
~ from “Bog Cotton” by Michael Longley
I am no literary scholar, but I like to think Longley is using bog cotton as a symbol of reconciliation, when he describes it as a “stauncher of wounds.”
Bog Cotton – A Symbol Of Ireland?
And so, in conclusion I am going to dare say bog cotton is not merely an iconic plant of the Irish landscape, but it is a plant that is uniquely symbolic of Ireland.
Thanks so much for stopping by to read my ramblings.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Irish American Mom
Here are some other posts you might enjoy as you explore your Irish culture and heritage ….
Hillwalking In County Donegal
Discover Dursey Island On Ireland’s Only Cable Car
The West Cork Coastline
How I love the pictures and story of the lovely bog cotton. Very symbolic I would say of troubled times. Thank you for sharing.
Sandy Laferriere
Hi Sandra – I’m glad you like these photos. My husband took some of these shots from the top of a Donegal mountain. Anytime he’s in Donegal he climbs some mountain, and I was thrilled when he came home with these lovely photos of bog cotton.
I too like the symbolism of bog cotton for Ireland’s troubled times and reconciliation.
Best wishes, and thanks for checking out my bog cotton ramblings.
Mairéad
The bog cotton is beautiful! I never saw it when I was in Ireland! So glad you wrote and shared about it Mairead!
Hi Maury – I’m so glad my photos introduced you to Irish bog cotton. It is a lovely sight to behold blowing in the summer breeze. Thanks so much for checking out this post.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Once again I’ve learned something new about Ireland from your post! Thank you so much for sharing the stories and the photos. Since my first visit to Donegal I’ve wanted to return there, and now I’d like to make that trip in the summer to see the bog cotton.
You’re a treasure for sharing the beauty of your homeland with us!
Jeanne
Hi Jeanne – I love to share my photos of Ireland here on my blog, and when readers like you stop by to check out my ramblings, you make my day. I truly hope you make it back to see Donegal in all its summer glory. There is no place on earth quite like Ireland on a sunny day. Bog cotton grows extensively in County Donegal and in all the westerly coastal and inland counties of Ireland where there are plenty of bogs.
Thanks for your kind words,
Mairéad
Just as someone else said, you learn something new every day if you aren’t careful. I would have never known about “bog cotton” if you hadn’t posted about it. The poems were just as beautiful! If I ever make it over there, I just might have to go “bogging!” Thanks!
Hi Jeff – Bog cotton is part of a rural Irish summer, especially on the west coast. A big boggy meadow of bog cotton is a sight to behold. I love the old saying that we learn something new everyday, but lately I have had to change it. I’m learning something new everyday, all the while trying to remember what it is I learned yesterday. Getting older is no joke. Thanks for checking out my bog cotton ramblings.
Take care,
Mairéad
Mairéad, I’d never heard of bog cotton. I love wildflowers so loved hearing about this wildflower found in Ireland. Can just imagine what a beautiful sight they are in person, against the spectacular greens of Ireland. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Cheryl – Delighted to introduce you to Ireland’s bog cotton. Sometimes you come across a big meadow of bog cotton and it truly looks like a snow covered field. I hope you’re enjoying these lovely summer days.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
What magical photos! I’ve not been to Ireland in the summer, so there are many things I’ve missed out on (namely puffins for me – I am so enchanted by them but haven’t been able to see them), including bog cotton which seems to have escaped the land of faery. And I so adore the poems of Seamus Heaney. He opens such a wide door through which we can visit Ireland, its history, struggles, and soulful, sometimes haunting beauty. Thanks for the post. Now I must get out my Heaney anthology and revisit him.
Hi Abby – I hope you make it to Ireland in the summer. When the sun shines there is no where on earth quite like Ireland. If you are interested in seeing puffins, I highly recommend a visit to Skellig Michael off the County Kerry Coast. Here’s a link with some photos …
https://www.irishamericanmom.com/2016/05/26/skellig-michael/
All the best,
Mairéad
Lovely photos of Ireland and bog cotton.
Glad you liked these photos, Tess.
All the best,
Mairéad
Never knew much about bog cotton!
Also reminds me of a tuft of pooch hair…and like you said…old man’s hair blowin’ in the wind!
And…I did not know it was native to the Emerald Isle!
Thank you for this wonderful lesson, and God bless you, Mairead*!
Bog cotton is lovely to see blowing in the wind, and one of the wildflowers that gives Ireland scenery that colorful boost that captivates our imaginations.
Take care,
Mairéad