Plants That Love Water
Wetland plants have special adaptations that let them thrive in waterlogged soil where most plants would drown.
Cattails are the most recognizable wetland plant. Their tall, slender leaves can grow six to ten feet high, and their fuzzy brown seed heads look like hot dogs on sticks. Cattails spread by underground stems called rhizomes, and a single cattail can produce up to 250,000 seeds! These seeds are attached to fluffy white hairs that carry them on the wind.
Water lilies have large, flat leaves that float on the surface. Their roots anchor in the mud below, and long flexible stems connect the leaves to the roots. The leaves have a waxy coating that repels water — raindrops bead up and roll right off! Water lily flowers are gorgeous — white, pink, yellow, or purple — and they attract pollinators like bees and beetles.
Duckweed is one of the smallest flowering plants in the world. These tiny green ovals float on the water surface in dense mats. They are an important food source for ducks (hence the name!) and help shade the water below, keeping it cool for fish.
Mangrove trees grow in coastal saltwater wetlands. They have an amazing root system that rises above the water like stilts. These prop roots anchor the tree in soft mud and create a maze of underwater hiding spots for baby fish, crabs, and shrimp.
**Did You Know:** Cattails are edible! Many parts of the cattail plant can be eaten — the young shoots taste like cucumber, the pollen can be used as flour, and the roots can be cooked like potatoes.