WHAT IS ANNUAL, PERENNIAL, AND BIENNIAL?
Annuals are plants that perform their entire life cycle – seed to flower to seed – within a single growing season. All roots, stems and leaves of the plant die annually. Only the dormant seed bridges the gap between one generation and the next. Perennials are plants that grow persistently for many seasons. Generally the top portion of the plant dies back each fall and regrows the following spring from the same root system (e.g. Purple Coneflower). When starting perennial plants from seed, blooms will be observed in either the spring or summer of the second year and each year thereafter. Biennials are plants that require two years to complete their life cycle. First season growth results in a small set of leaves near the soils surface. During the second season’s growth, a stem will appear, the plant will flower and seed will form. This is followed by the entire plant’s death. Note: A plant can behave as an annual or a perennial depending on local climatic and geographic growing conditio
