What is the difference between annual and perennial flowers? What do the terms mean, and what kind of flower is best for your unique situation? In this article I’ll present some basic definitions and the practical differences that will help you build the landscape you want.
1. Annuals vs Perennials: Which is which?
An annual is a plant that lives for one growing season and then dies over the winter. Annuals are replanted every year (annually) in the garden. In contrast, perennials go dormant over the winter and return from the same root system the following spring.
The above-ground growth of a perennial flower plant dies at the end of the growing season. However, a perennial’s roots continue to survive underground, as long as they are hardy in your growing zone.
(Hardiness is a measure of the coldest temperature a plant’s roots can withstand. Everyone lives within specific, numbered growing zone that is easy to look up. Some plants that are annual in very cold growing zones will actually grow as a perennial in a warmer zone.)
When it is warm enough the following spring, the dormant roots will send out new leaves and flowers. Perennial roots grow a little more each year until they reach full size, allowing the entire plant to grow and spread with time.
Now let’s talk about the some practical differences between annuals and perennials.
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