Swamp plants are plants that have roots in soil that is at least heavily waterlogged or really submerged. The leaves and flowers of the plants are usually in the air. In this post, you will learn about several representative types of marsh plants.
Reed is one of the best-known marsh plants
4 groups of marsh plants
Depending on their life and growth form, four groups of marsh plants can be distinguished:
- Reed plants (bot. arundophytes)
- Shallow water plants (bot. tenagophytes)
- Wet soil plants (bot. limosophytes)
- Moist soil plants (bot. uligophytes)
Note: Within these groups, some native marsh plants are also representative.
Representative reed plants
Reed plants penetrate the banks of water to a depth of about 1.5 meters. Strong rhizomes enable them to form dense stands. Important reed plants at a glance:
- Cattails (bot. Typha)
- Hedgehog butts (bot. Sparganium)
- common reed (bot. Phragmites australis)
- Sweet flag (bot. Acorus)
- Pond rushes (bot. Schoenoplectus)
Representative shallow water plants
In most cases, shallow water plants are very well adapted to fluctuations in the water level. Depending on the water depth, they can develop underwater, swimming, shallow water and land forms. Important shallow water plants at a glance:
- Common Frogspoon (bot. Alisma plantago-aquatica)
- Marsh iris (bot. Iris pseudacorus)
- Fir frond (bot. Hippuris vulgaris)
- Bachbunge (bot. Veronica beccabunga)
- Watercress (bot. Nasturtium officinale)
- Lip mouth (bot. Mazus reptans)
- Arrowhead (bot. Sagittaria)
- Four-leaf clover fern (bot. Marsilea quadrifolia)
- Blue water speedwell (bot. Veronica anagallis-aquatica)
- Aponogeton (bot. Aponogeton)
- Cyprus grass (bot. Cyperus)
- Pill ferns (bot. Pilularia)
Representative wet soil plants
Wet soil plants prefer and grow best in long-term water-saturated substrate. They survive periods of winter flooding as seeds or with underground parts. Important wet soil plants at a glance:
- Shield speedwell (bot. Veronica scutellata)
- Wolfstrapp (bot. Lycopus)
- Needle rush (bot. Eleocharis acicularis)
Representative wet soil plants
Wet soil plants, as the name suggests, need moist soil. They also endure flooding without taking damage. Representatives of this group are often found on floodplain meadows or on tall herb meadows along the banks. Important moist soil plants at a glance:
- water daffodil (bot. eupatorium)
- Marsh cranesbill (bot. Geranium palustre)
- Valerian (bot. Valeriana)
Extra: swamp plants to enjoy
There are also some marsh plants that you can literally enjoy - that is, they have edible parts. These plants include:
- Water chestnut (bot. Eleocharis dulcis)
- Wasabi (bot. Wasabia japonica)
- Watercress (bot. Nasturtium officinale)
- Cattails (bot. Typha)
- Water mimosa (bot. Neptunia natans)
- Water spinach (bot. Ipomoea aquatica)
- Water pepper (bot. Persicaria hydropiper)
- Arrowhead (bot. Sagittaria sagittifolia)
- Taro (bot. Colocasia esculenta)
- Rice (bot. Oryza - was not a swamp plant in the wild form)
- Wild rice (bot. Zizonia, known as "water bamboo")