WV wetland flora

Ferns and relatives

Any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores. 

Examples include: Cinnamon Fern, Hayscented Fern, New York Fern, Sensitive Fern, Sphagnum Moss and more.

Grasses - Sedges - Rushes​

Plants of the family Gramineae characterized by rounded, hollow or pithy jointed stems (culms), and narrow sheathing leaves with parallel veins. The leaves alternate on two sides of the stem. The junction of the blade and sheath often bears an erect fringe of hairs (ligules) and sometimes also earlike projections (auricles). Flowers are borne in reduced spikes (spikelets). Sedges: Any of a family (Cyperaceae); grass-like plants often found on wet ground or in water, having usually triangular, solid stems, three rows of narrow, pointed leaves and minute flowers born in spikelets. Sedges includes (Monocotyledoneae); chiefly herbaceous seed plants having an embryo with a single cotyledon, usually parallel-veined leaves, and floral organs arranged in cycles of three. This category also includes rushes (Juncaceae).

Examples in these categories include: Bentgrass, Blunt Spikerush, Broom Sedge, Burreed, Carpetgrass, Cattail, Cottongrass, Deertongue Witchgrass, Fox Sedge, Fringed Sedge, Giant Burreed, Green Bulrush, Hop Sedge, Mannagrass, Narrow Panicle Rush, Nodding Sedge, Reed Canarygrass, Ricecut grass, Sallow Sedge, Slender Spikerush, SoftRush, Stalkgrain Sedge, Star Sedge, Stiltgrass, Theeway Sedge, Tussock Sedge, Whitebeak Sedge, Woodland Rush, Woolgrass Bulrush and more... ​

Herbaceous Dicots

Herbaceous dicots (Forbes): A plant with a non-woody stem. The upper parts will die back at the end of the growing season. This category is subdivided into herbs with mostly compound leaves, herbs with simple mostly alternate leaves and herbs with simple mostly opposite leaves. 

Examples include: Arrowhead, Blue Vervain, Bog Goldenrod, Boneset, Bugleweed, False Nettle, Goldenrod, Goldentop, Jewelweed, Lizards Tail, Marsh Bedstraw, MarshBlueViolet.pdf, Marshseedbox, Monkey flower, New York Ironweed, Ragwort, Skunk cabbage, Smartweed, Tearthumb, Wingstem and more... 

Shrubs​

A low-growing woody plant usually under 15 ft. that often has multiple stems.​ 

Examples include: Black Chokeberry, Black Elderberry, Buttonbush, Cranberry, Dewberry, Honeysuckle, Meadowsweet, Mountain Laurel, Multiflora Rose, Rhododendron, Silky Dogwood, Silky Willow, Smooth Alder, Speckled Alder, Spicebush, St Johnswort, Swamp Rose, Winterberry and more...

Trees

A tree can be defined as a large, perennial, woody plant. Though there is no set definition regarding minimum size, the term generally applies to plants at least 20 ft. high at maturity and, more importantly, having secondary branches supported on a single main stem or trunk. 

Examples include: American Beech, American Hornbeam, Black Cherry, Blackgum, Black Willow, Box Elder, Eastern Hemlock, Green Ash, Pin Oak, Pitch Pine, Red Maple, Red Spruce, River Birch, Silver Maple, Swamp White Oak, Sycamore, Tuliptree, White Ash, Yellow Birch and more...

Aquatics

Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or macrophytes to distinguish them from algae and other microphytes. A macrophyte is a plant that grows in or near water and is either emergent, submergent, or floating.​ 

Common examples include Duckweed, Hornwort, Pond Lily, Pondweed, Water Starwort and more... ​

Additional resources

1. What are Riparian Buffers?
2. Photos of wetland plants from the Upper Midwest
3. US Fish and Wildlife Services: Wetland Mapper
4. Wetland resource guide
5. Field guide to WV wetland plants