Gardening lingo can be confusing and even intimidating, especially if you are a beginner. “Annuals” and “perennials” are two common but easily misunderstood terms that show up in descriptions on plant tags and in catalogs. We’re here to help with the definition of perennial and annual, and examples to help you get exactly the types of plants you want for your garden.
What Are Annuals?
Plants that complete their entire life cycles in one season are known as annuals. They typically sprout up from seeds produced the previous season, they grow stems and leaves, then bear flowers or fruit, and eventually make new seeds, before they die back when cold weather sets in. Annuals need to be planted each season. Most garden vegetables, including tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, peas, and green beans, are annuals. Marigolds, sunflowers, and petunias are familiar annual flowers. Cleome, cosmos, and others may appear to come back every year in the same place, but they are annuals that drop their seeds to germinate the following spring.
Gardening lingo can be confusing and even intimidating, especially if you are a beginner. “Annuals” and “perennials” are two common but easily misunderstood terms that show up in descriptions on plant tags and in catalogs. We’re here to help with the definition of perennial and annual, and examples to help you get exactly the types of plants you want for your garden.
What Are Annuals?
Plants that complete their entire life cycles in one season are known as annuals. They typically sprout up from seeds produced the previous season, they grow stems and leaves, then bear flowers or fruit, and eventually make new seeds, before they die back when cold weather sets in. Annuals need to be planted each season. Most garden vegetables, including tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, peas, and green beans, are annuals. Marigolds, sunflowers, and petunias are familiar annual flowers. Cleome, cosmos, and others may appear to come back every year in the same place, but they are annuals that drop their seeds to germinate the following spring.
What Are Perennials?
Perennials are plants that come back for three (or more) seasons after you put them in your garden. The foliage on top may die down in winter, but the roots survive and the plants sprout up again when spring returns. Many beloved flower types are perennials, including daisies, peonies, and daylilies. Woody plants such as trees and shrubs are categorized as perennials. Asparagus, rhubarb, horseradish, berry plants, and herbs such as mint, are perennial food plants.
What Are Biennials?
You may not hear a lot of talk about biennials, but they differ from both perennials and annuals because they take two years to complete their life cycle. That is, they produce a leafy plant and maybe flower in one season, survive to the next spring, and then produce their seeds. Carrots, parsley, foxglove, and black-eyed Susans are all biennials.
What Are the Differences Between Annuals and Perennials?
The distinction between the life cycles of types of plants is not just useful in a botany class. Understanding how they differ can help you choose the best plants for your garden.
Bloom Time
Most annual flowers grow and bloom for weeks, or even months, during the season. Marigolds, for instance, start opening their flowers in late spring and continue bearing new blossoms until the first hard frost in fall. Perennial flowers, on the other hand, come up at around the same time each season and they tend to bloom for a shorter duration, a few weeks for many, a couple months for some. After perennials finish blooming, they continue to gather sunlight for a few weeks in preparation for the next season, before they die down.
Starting Point
You can grow many annual flowers from seeds or started seedlings here. The seeds usually come up quickly and the plant shifts to blooming when it reaches full-size. Some perennials can be started from seeds by home gardeners, but many do not come back with the same attributes as the parent plants. Perennial seeds may also need to be chilled, scarred, or otherwise pre-treated to ensure they germinate. That’s why most home growers opt for starting with perennial plants. Many of them will root and grow from a cutting or division of an older plant. Many perennials need two or three seasons to establish before they begin growing and blooming with full vigor.
Timing
You plant annual flowers and vegetables when the overnight temperatures are warm enough for them to start growing. Pansies are cool-weather flowers, for example, that go in around the same time as spinach. Zinnias thrive in the heat, just like peppers and eggplant. The ideal time to plant (or divide) spring-blooming perennial flowers is in fall, while spring planting is best for summer- and fall-blooming perennials, such as chrysanthemums.
Cost
Starting annual flowers from seeds is the most inexpensive way to get a lot of color in your garden. You often can buy six-packs of annual flower starts (or seedlings) at local garden centers for less than $10. Because the annuals die at the end of the season, you will need to purchase them again the next year. Perennial plants cost more, with individual pots selling for $10 or more. Perennials earn back your investment for you by coming up again for many seasons after you buy them, in some cases up to 20 years or more.
Care
Both annual and perennial plants need consistent moisture while they’re establishing their root systems. After that, annuals need an inch of water each week—either as rain or from your hose—throughout the growing season. After the first season, perennials are equipped to find moisture in the soil through their extensive roots and generally need watering only during extended dry spells. While annual flowers, such as New Guinea impatiens, drop off spent blossoms on their own, but marigolds and many others may require you to “deadhead,” or remove the finished flowers with your pruners or hands. After the plants die back at the end of the season, you pull and compost them. When perennials finish blooming, you leave the foliage and stems in place to continue storing energy for the next season. Gardeners who like neat, well-trimmed beds cut down perennial stalks once they turn brown, but you can leave them up for birds and other wildlife to use during the winter and cut them back in the spring.
Uses
Annual and perennial flowers both bring color and texture to your beds, but they tend to be used differently in landscapes. Annuals can be planted in masses for dramatic effect, and they fit well into containers of all sizes. Perennials are more permanent, so you need to find a spot for them where the soil won’t be disturbed each year. They lend structure, height, and depth to landscapes. While you can plant perennials in large quantities, they can be very effective as highlights and accents in your landscape.
Which Is Best for Your Flower Garden?
The healthiest and most beautiful gardens feature a diverse variety of plants that provide an evolving display of color, form, and texture throughout the year. As you develop your landscape, you might think of perennials as the backbones of your garden. Plant them first and they will show up year in and year out. You can then complement the perennials with annuals that offer steady color over the whole season. With this strategy, you can give your garden a fresh look with different annuals each year while having perennials you can count on.
Now comes the fun part! You can choose from thousands of annuals and perennials for your flower garden, in a wide range of sizes and shapes, hues and habits. Your options are nearly limitless and your garden will be full of delights if you plant some of each.
Flowers
|
Produce
|
Chances are, many of your favorite flowers, fruits and veggies are annuals. Common examples include:
- Flowers: Calibrachoa, Coleus, Geraniums, Gomphrena, Impatiens, Marigolds, Pansies, Petunias, Vincas, and Violas
- Produce: Beans, Broccoli, Carrots, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplants, Peppers, Peas, Pumpkins, and Tomatoes
What Are Perennials?
Perennials are plants that come back for three (or more) seasons after you put them in your garden. The foliage on top may die down in winter, but the roots survive and the plants sprout up again when spring returns. Many beloved flower types are perennials, including daisies, peonies, and daylilies. Woody plants such as trees and shrubs are categorized as perennials. Asparagus, rhubarb, horseradish, berry plants, and herbs such as mint, are perennial food plants.
Shrubs
|
Vegetables and Fruit
|
Flowers
|
You likely walk by perennials every day. Common examples include:
- Shrubs: Butterfly bushes, Hydrangeas, Lilacs, Peonies, Roses, Viburnums, and Weigelas
- Vegetables and Fruit: Asparagus, Blueberries, raspberries and other berries, Rhubarb, Strawberries, andGarlic (usually grown as an annual), Kale (traditionally grown as an annual)
- Flowers: Baby's breath, Bulbs, such as crocus, daffodils, hyacinths and tulips, Clematis, Coreopsis, Echinacea, Daisies, Daylilies, Hostas, Phlox, and Verbenas
What Are Biennials?
You may not hear a lot of talk about biennials, but they differ from both perennials and annuals because they take two years to complete their life cycle. That is, they produce a leafy plant and maybe flower in one season, survive to the next spring, and then produce their seeds. Carrots, parsley, foxglove, and black-eyed Susans are all biennials.
What Is the Difference Between Annuals and Perennials?
The distinction between the life cycles of types of plants is not just useful in a botany class. Understanding how they differ can help you choose the best plants for your garden.
Bloom Time
Most annual flowers grow and bloom for weeks or even months during the season. Marigolds, for instance, start opening their flowers in late spring and continue bearing new blossoms until the first hard frost in fall. Perennial flowers, on the other hand, come up at around the same time each season, and they tend to bloom for a shorter duration, a few weeks for many, a couple of months for some. After perennials finish blooming, they continue to gather sunlight for a few weeks in preparation for the next season, before they die down.
Starting Point
You can grow many annual flowers from seeds or started seedlings. The seeds usually come up quickly, and the plant shifts to blooming when it reaches full-size. Some perennials can be started from seeds by home gardeners, but they may need to be chilled, scarred, or otherwise pre-treated to ensure they germinate. Many perennials do not come true by seeds and are propagated asexually via cuttings. Most home growers opt for starting with perennial plants. Many of them will root and grow from a cutting or division of an older plant. Many perennials need two or three seasons to establish before they begin growing and blooming with full vigor.
Timing
You plant annual flowers and vegetables when the overnight temperatures are warm enough for them to start growing. Pansies are cool-weather flowers, for example, that go in around the same time as spinach. Zinnias thrive in the heat, just like peppers and eggplant. The ideal time to plant (or divide) spring-blooming perennial flowers is in fall, while spring planting is best for summer- and fall-blooming perennials, such as chrysanthemums.
Cost
Starting annual flowers from seeds is the most inexpensive way to get a lot of color in your garden. You often can buy six-packs of annual flower starts (or seedlings) at local garden centers, often for less than $10. Because the annuals die at the end of the season, you will need to purchase them again the next year. Perennial plants cost more, with individual pots selling for $10 or more. Perennials earn back your investment by coming up again for many seasons after you buy them, in some cases up to 20 years or more.
Care
Both annual and perennial plants need consistent moisture while they’re establishing their root systems. After that, annuals need an inch of water each week—either as rain or from your hose—throughout the growing season. After the first season, perennials are equipped to find moisture in the soil through their extensive roots and generally need watering only during extended dry spells. Some annual flowers, such as petunias and New Guinea impatiens, drop off spent blossoms on their own, but marigolds and others may require you to “deadhead,” or remove the finished flowers with your pruners or hands. After the plants die back at the end of the season, you pull and compost them. When perennials finish blooming, you leave the foliage and stems in place to continue storing energy for the next season. Gardeners who like neat, well-trimmed beds cut down perennial stalks once they turn brown, but you can leave them up for birds and other wildlife to use during the winter and cut them back in the spring.
Uses
Annual and perennial flowers both bring color and texture to your beds, but they tend to be used differently in landscapes. Annuals can be planted in masses for dramatic effect, and they fit well into containers of all sizes. Perennials are more permanent, so you need to find a spot for them where the soil won’t be disturbed each year. They lend structure, height, and depth to landscapes. While you can plant perennials in large quantities, they can be very effective as highlights and accents in your landscape.
Which Is Best for Your Flower Garden?
The healthiest and most beautiful gardens feature a diverse variety of plants that provide an evolving display of color, form, and texture throughout the year. As you develop your landscape, you might think of perennials as the backbones of your garden. Plant them first and they will show up year in and year out. You can then complement the perennials with annuals that offer steady color over the whole season. With this strategy, you can give your garden a fresh look with different annuals each year while having perennials you can count on.
Now comes the fun part! You can choose from thousands of annuals and perennials for your flower garden, in a wide range of sizes and shapes, hues, and habits. Your options are nearly limitless, and your garden will be full of delights if you plant some of each.
New to gardening? Get 5 must-know tips for beginners.