Pond Plants

All ponds have many different types of
vegetation that are distributed according
to their preferences: on the edge of the
water, near the shore, or on damp land.
In the intermediate zone, the plants
always have their roots in the water.
There are the totally aquatic plants
which live in the pond itself. The most
common plants in ponds are rushes and
sedges. Rushes have no leaves and
their stalks are long and round. Sedges
have stalks with a triangular section and
their leaves are hard and pointed and
come out of the stalk in three directions.

Ponds do not stay the same year after
year. Normally, mud and dead plants
accumulate on the bottom, and as the
ponds become shallower, the rushes on
the shore go closer to the middle. If this
process continues, ponds can gradually
become marshes, and eventually
become forests.

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Experiment

Water Lilly

Plants that are specially
adapted to live in water
are called hydropytes.
Hydropytes range from
microscopic plants which
can be found in groups of
several million to huge
flowering plants that can
be over a meter across.
Water plants are either
emergent or submergent.
Emergert plants like reed
mace, grow good in very
wet soils, or in soils that
spend a lot of time
covered in water. Most or
all of their stems and
leaves are above the
surface of the water. Some
of the plant's parts, for
instance big leaves, may
float on the top of the
water. Unless they are free
floating, their roots, or
root-like parts, anchor
them to the ground under
the water.