Water Plants By Ian Michael Pettigrew

Table of Contents Questions About Water Plants………………1 Types of Water Plants……………………….2 Providing Food and Shelter………………….3 Cattails……………………………………….4 Water Lilies………………………………….5 The Benefits of Nature………………………6 List of References……………………………7

Questions About Water Plants What do water plants eat? Do they live in soil or sand? How do water plants breathe? What types of plants grow in fresh water? Are water plants endangered?

Types of Water Plants There are several types of water plants. Some grow out of the water, along the water’s edge, and are called “emergents”. Some have their leaves floating on the surface of the water. Others grow completely submerged in the water, with their roots in the soil.

Providing Food and Shelter In marshes and wetlands, water plants provide food and shelter for certain birds and water animals, but these wetlands have to be watched carefully for destruction of the plants by birds or disease. Lawrencetown, NS

Cattails  Cattails are a very common freshwater plant. They can grow to be very tall, as much as nine feet tall.  Cattails are different because they have tall flowers that contain fluffy seeds wrapped in bundles. In the late summer or early fall the seeds are released to make new plants. The seeds can only grow if they land in water. Cattails

Water Lilies There are three kinds of water lilies: night, tropical and hardy. Night lilies bloom at night. The root of the lily grows in mud at the bottom of the pond. There are endangered because wetlands are endangered. They can be found on the edge of ponds and lakes in shallow water. Water Lily

The Benefits of Nature These are some of the benefits of water plants to nature: Provide food for birds, fish and water animals. Pump oxygen into the water for fish to breathe. Make shorelines more stable and prevent erosion of soil. Provide shelter for baby fish and fish eggs. Absorb too many nutrients from the water and some pollution

List of References Water Lilies: Cattails: MBG Net University of Florida Aquatic, Wetland and Invasive Plant Information Retrieval System: Cover Image: Water Lilies by Monet