This study investigates how plant morphology affects near-bed velocity, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), and bedload transport in emergent canopies. Using model plants with real plant morphology, the research shows that plant morphology significantly influences sediment transport. A plant morphology coefficient was defined to quantify the impact of vertically varied frontal area on these parameters. The coefficient improved predictions of near-bed velocity, TKE, and bedload transport in canopies with realistic morphology. Plants with greater vertical variation in frontal area produced higher bedload transport rates. The study found that plant morphology can alter transport rates by up to an order of magnitude compared to uniform morphology. The results highlight the importance of considering plant morphology in sediment transport models, especially in vegetated environments like rivers, marshes, and deltas. The findings have implications for ecosystem management and restoration, as they provide a method to quantify the impact of plant shape on flow and sediment transport. The study used laboratory experiments and modeling to validate the effects of plant morphology on flow and sediment transport, demonstrating that plant shape significantly influences sediment transport rates. The results show that plant morphology plays a crucial role in determining sediment transport, and that incorporating this factor into models improves predictions of sediment transport in vegetated regions.This study investigates how plant morphology affects near-bed velocity, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), and bedload transport in emergent canopies. Using model plants with real plant morphology, the research shows that plant morphology significantly influences sediment transport. A plant morphology coefficient was defined to quantify the impact of vertically varied frontal area on these parameters. The coefficient improved predictions of near-bed velocity, TKE, and bedload transport in canopies with realistic morphology. Plants with greater vertical variation in frontal area produced higher bedload transport rates. The study found that plant morphology can alter transport rates by up to an order of magnitude compared to uniform morphology. The results highlight the importance of considering plant morphology in sediment transport models, especially in vegetated environments like rivers, marshes, and deltas. The findings have implications for ecosystem management and restoration, as they provide a method to quantify the impact of plant shape on flow and sediment transport. The study used laboratory experiments and modeling to validate the effects of plant morphology on flow and sediment transport, demonstrating that plant shape significantly influences sediment transport rates. The results show that plant morphology plays a crucial role in determining sediment transport, and that incorporating this factor into models improves predictions of sediment transport in vegetated regions.