Swamps are wetlands whose dominant vegetation is woody plants, such as trees and shrubs.

The water may be anywhere from a few inches to over a foot deep. Although swamps are usually saturated with water during the growing season, they may dry out in the heat of a long summer.

A freshwater swamp may be either a forested swamp or a shrub swamp.

• Typical vegetation in northern freshwater swamps includes red maple, black willow, northern white cedar, alder, and cottonwood
• Water oak, tupelo, and bald cypress are common to southern freshwater swamps

In the southern United States (such as southern Florida and regions of Texas and Louisiana), saltwater swamps called mangrove swamps are common.