A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of a pulsing hydrology on the productivity and nutrient uptake of an herbaceous riverine wetland. Pulsing effects were evaluated using 20 0.9-m² wetland mesocosms: 10 planted with Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (C.C. Gmel) Palla and the other 10 planted with Typha angustifolia L. For each species, half the mesocosms were subjected to a 3-mo pulsing regime while the others were subjected to steady-flow conditions. Hydrology parameters were selected to approximate a pulsing experiment being carried out concurrently at two 1-ha wetlands at the research site. Typha wetlands were significantly more productive than Schoenoplectus wetlands; however no significant differences in productivity or morphology were observed between pulsed or steady-flow wetlands among species groups. No significant differences in nutrient concentrations, uptake or uptake efficiency were detected among species groups either, however hydrology did influence plant tissue N:P ratios. For all wetland mesocosms, the mean N:P ratio was 9.2 ± 0.6 for steady flow wetlands and 11.7 ± 0.5 for pulsed, suggesting that the steady flow wetlands were more N limited than pulsed wetlands. The potential applications and limitations of applying these results to the 1-ha wetlands study are discussed.