ANNUALS, BIENNIALS, PERENNIALS, OH MY! WHAT ARE THEY?
You've probably noticed that we split our plants up into different sections at our garden center. Generally, annuals are grouped together, and perennials are grouped and displayed elsewhere. You've also probably seen and heard the words annual, biennial, and perennial a lot when it comes to plants and gardening. These words can be a bit confusing, and some plants seem to blur the lines a little bit. So, what are the differences between each of these terms?
WHAT ARE ANNUALS?
Annuals are plants that go through their entire life cycle in just one growing season. So they start from seed, grow their foliage and flowers, then they set seed, and finally, they die. We also usually refer to plants that are too delicate to survive winter dormancy in our region as annuals. Usually, we use the term "annual" for flowering plants, but technically most of the vegetables we grow in our gardens are annuals as well since we start them from seed every year.
WHAT ARE BIENNIALS?
Biennials are plants that require two growing seasons to complete their life cycle. In the first growing season, most biennials will produce a healthy crop of foliage. Those leaves will collect energy over the growing season and store it in the roots. In the second season, biennials will again produce foliage, but they will also produce a flower stalk and blossom. They will then set seed and die.
Some biennials can easily be mistaken for perennials because they self-seed, so new plants are starting every year. For many flowers, this is enough to keep them going for many years, and you won't need to worry about planting them again.
Common biennials include Sweet William, Black-Eyed Susans, and some hollyhocks. Spinach, fennel, and lettuce are technically biennial as well, though regular harvesting and occasional bolting mean we usually grow them as annuals.
WHAT ARE PERENNIALS?
Perennials are plants whose root systems will live for at least three years and may come back year after year. It does not necessarily mean a plant is hardy enough to withstand winter everywhere, but somewhere in the world, it will grow perennially. Perennials that grow in big clumps, like irises, should be divided up every few years to keep from crowding the original plant, and to allow the new ones more access to nutrients and water with less competition.
Generally, most garden centers will only include perennials that are hardy for their region in the perennial section. More delicate perennials meant for warmer climates will usually be classified as annuals, or "tender perennials," in colder areas.
Perennials will usually have a hardiness zone marked on the plant tag. Around Indianapolis, the region varies from zone 5b to 6a. Perennials that are hardy for zone 5 or lower will be safe here. Depending on your location, plants for zone 6 may be a little riskier. If they're planted in a sheltered spot where they can get lots of sunshine, and you give them a good mulch blanket in the fall, they should be ok.
Some common perennials here are phlox, columbine, false indigo, butterfly milkweed, and goldenrod.
It's useful to understand the difference between annuals, biennials, and perennials so you know what to expect when you're planning your garden each year. We try to organize our plants at our garden center so that it's easy to tell what plants are in each section. If you're ever wondering about the hardiness of a plant, our knowledgeable staff members are always happy to answer questions and offer some tips. Stop by Dammann's today to discover a wide selection of annuals, biennials, and perennials in Indianapolis.