Characterising the near-bed hydrodynamics in flows with aquatic vegetation is critical given the wide range of biophysical processes that depend on the near-bed flow conditions. Yet, fundamental uncertainties still exist on the interplay between vegetation, flow dynamics, and sediment transport. This talk will introduce new insights gained from high-resolution numerical Large Eddy Simulations (LES) and detailed Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) experiments, designed to characterize near-bed mean and turbulent flow properties under a wide range of flow conditions and canopy densities. Our findings show that canopy elements create notable spatial variability in near-bed flow characteristics and that the penetration of canopy-scale turbulence significantly alters turbulent stress at the bed. Moreover, while bed shear stress for dense submerged vegetation closely resembles emergent canopy conditions, it is comparable to bare-bed values in sparse submerged canopies. These results advance our understanding of the physical processes governing vegetation-flow interactions and have important implications for improving sediment transport modelling and managing vegetated aquatic systems.