OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia

Water lettuce is a floating plant that looks just like a small head of green lettuce bobbing on top of the water, which is exactly how it got its fun name! Its leaves are soft, thick, and fuzzy, and they grow in a pretty circle shape. Water lettuce grows in warm ponds, lakes, and slow rivers in tropical places.

Water lettuce does not have any stems at all. Its long, feathery roots just hang down into the water like a thick, dangly beard to soak up nutrients. The fuzzy hairs on the leaves trap tiny air bubbles that help the plant float, like wearing a life jacket made of fuzz!