Poquoson (geographic term)

Poquoson are thick peat-filled swamps found in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. They are found in the tidewater area of the coastal plain. The poquoson usually has a variety of flora and fauna including bay trees, tupelo trees, cypress and pine. Black bears can be found in some poquosons. Poquosons may be either flooded or dry depending on the time of the year, but are generally somewhere in between. Poquosons gain their name from an Indian term that translates out to "swamp on a hill", mainly because of the elevation added from the thickness of the peat that is formed in them.

There has been much debate over the translation of the word poquoson, with some saying that it translates out to "swamp" or "marshy lowlands".