Most lake and pond plants live in the waters around the shoreline. They include microscopic onecelled organisms, plants commonly referred to as "seaweed," and many types of grasses and flowering plants.

The water offers support to plants. Even a small tree on land requires a tough, woody stem to hold it erect, but underwater plants do not require woody portions because the water helps to hold them upright. As a result, their stems are soft and flexible, allowing them to move with the current without breaking.

Plants in and around a lake or pond may be classified as submergent, floating aquatic (water), or emergent, according to their relationship with the water.

A submergent plant grows beneath the water. Even its leaves lie below the surface. Submergents include milfoil, pondweed, and bladderwort, an insect-eating plant.

Floating aquatics float on the water's surface. Some, such as the water...