Photo: John Van Niel
Photo: John Van Niel
A pocosin is an acidic wetland (bog) dominated by shrubs and trees. They are generally found in the southeastern part of the United States. These wet areas have many evergreen trees such as pond pine growing on peat or sandy soils. Fires maintain pocosins as a unique wetland type but are being threatened because natural fires in these areas are rare. The word pocosin comes from the Algonquin Indian word meaning "swamp on a hill." It was given this name because a pocosin forms in the elevated spots between streams. The Florida diamondback rattler, cottonmouth and black bear may be found in a pocosin.