Plants of the Rivers, Lakes, and Wetlands

Explore plants of other plant communities

Introduction

Plants have colonized many habitat types, including systems dominated by water such as rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Plants living in wetlands must be able to survive both inundation and drying as water levels may fluctuate greatly seasonally. Other plants are adapted to live predominantely beneath the water's surface (submergent), others float on the surface (floating), while others emerge from water with stiff stems holding the plants leaves above the water (emergent).

The gradation from deep water to dry uplands is not always clear as rivers may inundate uplands during floods, water tables may rise and fall, and seeps on hillsides sometimes provide suitable habitat for wetland plant species. Plants growing in water may also have to survive the scouring effects of floating ice during the spring floods.

Plants of the Rivers, Lakes, and Wetlands
Trees Eastern Cottonwood Silver Maple Grasses and Sedges Prairie Cord Grass	Wildflowers Cattails Arrowheads Duckweed Spotted Jewelweed Blue Vervain Marsh Marigold Skunk Cabbage
Invasive Species Reed Canary Grass, Purple Loosestrife

Visit a River, Lake, and Wetland

Crosby Farm Regional Park, Fort Snelling State Park, Coon Rapids Regional Park (East and West) and the Lake Rebecca/Hastings River Flats Park area all have good access to wetlands, floodplain ponds, and the Mississippi River.