Your help is appreciated. We depend on donations to help keep this site free and up to date for you. Can you please help us?

✕

Native Plant Trust: Go Botany Discover thousands of New England plants

Aquatic plants

Is your plant in one of these subgroups?

Please go through the subgroups in order.

Plant form: Eriocaulon aquaticum. ~ By Cheryl Lowe. ~ Copyright © 2021 New England Wild Flower Society. ~ Image Request, images[at]newenglandwild.org Plant form: Lobelia dortmanna. ~ By Marilee Lovit. ~ Copyright © 2021 Marilee Lovit. ~ lovitm[at]gmail.com Plant form: Ludwigia palustris. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2021 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com Plant form: Myriophyllum verticillatum. ~ By Donald Cameron. ~ Copyright © 2021 Donald Cameron. ~ No permission needed for non-commercial uses, with proper credit Leaves: Najas flexilis. ~ By Donald Cameron. ~ Copyright © 2021 Donald Cameron. ~ No permission needed for non-commercial uses, with proper credit Plant form: Proserpinaca palustris. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2021 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com Plant form: Ranunculus flabellaris. ~ By Donald Cameron. ~ Copyright © 2021 Donald Cameron. ~ No permission needed for non-commercial uses, with proper credit Leaves: Sagittaria cuneata. ~ By Donald Cameron. ~ Copyright © 2021 Donald Cameron. ~ No permission needed for non-commercial uses, with proper credit Plant form: Sagittaria graminea. ~ By Donald Cameron. ~ Copyright © 2021 Donald Cameron. ~ No permission needed for non-commercial uses, with proper credit Leaves: Sium suave. ~ By Marilee Lovit. ~ Copyright © 2021 Marilee Lovit. ~ lovitm[at]gmail.com Plant form: Sparganium angustifolium. ~ By Marilee Lovit. ~ Copyright © 2021 Marilee Lovit. ~ lovitm[at]gmail.com Plant form: Zostera marina. ~ By Ben Kimball. ~ Copyright © 2021 Ben Kimball. ~ alpinefin[at]comcast.net

Water plants with leaves and stems

Milfoils, watershields, bladderworts, and other submerged plants

Key Characteristics These plants are differentiated into stems and leaves. They spend their lives under water or floating near the water's surface. They are larger than duckweeds and watermeal (next subgroup).

Exceptions This is a diverse group. Leaves may look very thin and feathery or have bladders that help them float or capture prey.

View a video about this subgroup

My plant is in this subgroup
Thalli: Lemna minor. ~ By Donald Cameron. ~ Copyright © 2021 Donald Cameron. ~ No permission needed for non-commercial uses, with proper credit Plant form: Spirodela polyrrhiza. ~ By Arthur Haines. ~ Copyright © 2021 Arthur Haines. ~ arthur.d.haines[at]gmail.com Thalli: Wolffia borealis. ~ By Donald Cameron. ~ Copyright © 2021 Donald Cameron. ~ No permission needed for non-commercial uses, with proper credit

Tiny water plants with no true stem

Duckweeds and other very small floating species

Key Characteristics These plants do not have distinct stems and leaves; instead, they have a thallus that may have roots hanging from the lower surface. They are minute plants that float on or near the surface of ponds and other still or slow-moving water bodies.

Exceptions Some pieces of floating aquatic plants or algae may resemble these tiny plants, but will have differentiated leaves and stems.

View a video about this subgroup

My plant is in this subgroup

My plant isn't in these subgroups.

« Take me back a level.