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| By 'The Garden Guru' Orlando Martinez ANNUALS - Plants that perform their entire life cycle from seed to flowers 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 - Plants that persist for many growing seasons. Generally the top portion of the plant dies back each winter and regrows the following spring from the same root system (e.g.Purple Coneflower). Many perennial plants to keep their leaves year round and offer and attractive border or ground cover (e.g. Ox-Eyed Daisy planted in the spring of 1999 will not bloom until the spring of 2000). BI-ANNUALS - Plants which require two years to complete their life cycle. First season growth results in small resette of leaves near the soil surface. During the second Season's growth stem elongation, flowering and seed formation occur followed by the entire plant's death. ANNUAL / PERENNIAL - A plant can behave as an annual or a perennial depending on the local climactic and geographic growing conditions. In the southern portion of the United States, these plants tend to grow much quicker than in the north due to the warmer weather and extended growing season. For example: A Black - Eyed Susan would behave as an annual if grown in Louisiana; where as, if grown in Ohio, a Black - Eyed Susan would behave as a perennial. |
