Explore this aquatic plants list and discover species built for life in and around water, from submerged pondweeds to floating lotus and emergent cattails.
POPULARMoney Tree
Pachira aquatica
POPULARCreeping Primrose-willow
Ludwigia repens
POPULARPurple pitcher plant
Sarracenia purpurea
POPULARCardinal flower
Lobelia cardinalis
POPULARLemon bacopa
Bacopa caroliniana
POPULARDwarf rotala
Rotala rotundifolia
POPULARTaro
Colocasia esculenta
POPULARAnubias barteri
Anubias barteri
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POPULARHydrocotyle Japan
Hydrocotyle tripartita
Water spangles
Salvinia minima
POPULARAsian marshweed
Limnophila sessiliflora
Brazilian waterweed
Elodea densa
Small Mud-mat
Glossostigma elatinoides
Dwarf Sagittaria
Sagittaria subulata
Indian swampweed
Hygrophila polysperma
Crystalwort
Riccia fluitans
Umbrella Papyrus
Cyperus alternifolius
Temple Plant
Hygrophila corymbosa
Tape grass
Vallisneria spiralis
Bolbitis heteroclita
Bolbitis heteroclita
Carolina fanwort
Cabomba caroliniana
Paper Reed
Cyperus papyrus
Cobra Lily
Darlingtonia californica
Needle Spikerush
Eleocharis acicularis
Dwarf spikerush
Eleocharis parvula
Rice Paddy Herb
Limnophila aromatica
Piedmont primrose-willow
Ludwigia arcuata
Water Purslane
Ludwigia palustris
Meadow spikemoss
Selaginella apoda
Cylindricfruit Primrose-willow
Ludwigia glandulosa
Calla lily
Zantedeschia aethiopica
White pitcher plant
Sarracenia leucophylla
Brazilian pennywort
Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Whorled pennywort
Hydrocotyle verticillata
Rough Waterclover
Marsilea hirsuta
Floating fern
Salvinia natans
Water Hyssop
Bacopa monnieri
Coontail
Ceratophyllum demersum
Stream bogmoss
Mayaca fluviatilis
Cape Bladderwort
Utricularia bisquamata
American eelgrass
Vallisneria americana
threadleaf sundew
Drosera filiformis
Texas Star hibiscus
Hibiscus coccineus
Marsh pennywort
Hydrocotyle vulgaris
Corkscrew rush
Juncus effusus
Creeping jenny
Lysimachia nummularia
hardy canna
Thalia dealbata
humped bladderwort
Utricularia gibba
Water sprite
Ceratopteris thalictroides
Japanese sweet flag
Acorus gramineus
Pennywort
Centella asiatica
Indian rhubarb
Darmera peltata
Rough horsetail
Equisetum hyemale
Giant rhubarb
Gunnera manicata
water violet
Hottonia palustris
Japanese iris
Iris ensata
Yellow iris
Iris pseudacorus
Roundleaf Lindernia
Lindernia rotundifolia
globefruit primrose-willow
Ludwigia sphaerocarpa
marsh mermaid weed
Proserpinaca palustris
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Aquatic species aren't one botanical family — they're plants from dozens of unrelated lineages that evolved similar solutions to living in or near water.
Their main challenge is oxygen. These species solve it with aerenchyma — internal channels that carry oxygen down from the surface to submerged roots. Flexible stems also let plants survive in moving water without uprooting.
Root systems vary just as much. For example, Umbrella Papyrus drives deep anchoring rhizomes into mud. Amazon water lily anchors to the bottom via a thick rhizome while floating enormous pads above.
The classification is based on where each species grows relative to the waterline.
Most aquatic plant names fall into four main groups, each with a distinct structure and ecological role:
Group | Position | Key trait |
Submerged | Fully underwater | Absorbs gases through leaves, not roots |
Floating | On or near the surface | Rooted or free-drifting; leaves sit on water |
Emergent | Rooted below, grows above water | Stiff stems support upright growth |
Marginal | Waterlogged soil at water's edge | Tolerates periodic flooding |
The boundaries between groups aren't always fixed. Yellow iris grows in both marginal and emergent conditions.
The list of aquatic plants spans dozens of families. Nymphaeaceae (the water lily family) is the most recognized, with 65 accepted species globally. Amazon water lily, mentioned above, is one of its most striking members.
Hydrocharitaceae covers some of the most widespread submerged species, including Tape grass, which forms dense underwater meadows across every continent.
Dwarf rotala from Lythraceae and Indian swampweed from Acanthaceae represent the many smaller families filling out the grid.
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