Aquatic Plants Native to Tennessee Rivers

What Is an Aquatic Plant?

• Aquatic plants are sometimes called aquatic macrophytes. These can be vascular plants, mosses or algae, according to the Tennessee Valley Authority, which manages many of the state's reservoirs and rivers. They take assorted forms and live in different parts of the aquatic ecosystem. Some are free-floating like the common coontail, while others are submersed and seen only by fish and divers and others have floating leaves but are rooted in the bottom of the pond or river. There are also emergent wetland plants, the roots of which are submerged, but the leaves and stems are above the water's surface.

Coontail or Hornwort

• One of the most common Tennessee natives of streams and ponds is coontail, or hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum). This plant is a free-floating, rootless plant that has a brushy look, from which it got its common name. It's a habitat for invertebrates and is eaten by ducks and fish.

Water Lilies

• A water lily native to Tennessee is the Nymphaea odorata. Its fragrant white flowers are a highlight of a water garden. Unlike coontails, water lilies are not free-floating. They have roots in the soil of the stream and floating leaves.

Riverweed or Podostemom Species

• One of the most common plants of Tennessee waterways is riverweed of the genus podostemom. It's a perennial plant that will survive the winter in your water element and starts growing again in the spring. Podostemom species may not be easy to find at a nursery, but you might be able to move some to your garden from a pond or river.

Wild Celery

• Wild celery (Vallisneria Americana) is a native aquatic plant that is great food for canvasback ducks, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It's not like edible celery at all, but it's an underwater grass-like plant.