Do plants grow in groups

Yes, both, they grow wherever they can. A lot depends on propagation. If they grow by runners, or splitting, then they are forced into groups. If they have a method to spread seeds they do that.

Often clumped together as they spread nearby much easier than farther away. Also most plants have a certain set of ideal conditions, so that when one plant is there it is often true that another will also find those "right" conditions.
But that doesn't mean that another type plant will not get started in /near the same spot. Nature tends to be a very random and just dumps a lot of things out to see how they work. That's why we see plants trying to grow in the cracks in sidewalks.
Kind of fits the way my tanks evolve?

John_Jensen said:

In the wild do plants grow in groups or are there a mixture in one area?

Click to expand...

just like plants on land, they grow in groups.

Thanks everyone I am going to be planting a tank with Sagittaria, Vallisneria, Ludwigia, Money wort and Pennywort