Abstract: Potamogeton malaianus, P. maackianus, Vallisneria spiralis, Myriophyllum spicatum and Hydrilla verticillata are common dominant submersed macrophytes in lakes of the middle and lower reaches of the Changjiang River. We investigated the regeneration abilities of these five species in growing experiment. The species can be arranged in order of increasing rate of production of asexual propagules: H. verticillata > P. maackianus > P. malaianus > V. spiralis > M. spicatum. Rates of survival of plants were measured at two scales : 1) the whole plant, in which survival of H. verticillata > M. spicatum > P. maackianu > P. malaianus > V. spiralis, and 2) vegetative propagules: H. verticillata > V. spiralis > M. spicatum > P. maackianus P. malaianus. In addition to the fragment of Myriophyllum spicatum, colonization ability (root growth rate) of each species was correlated with its survival rate and the ranks order of colonization ability in the 5 species and their propagules were identical to that of their rates of survival.