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| Photo Credit: Jessie Keith |
| African marigolds are true annuals that can bloom all growing season if deadheaded. | Before digging in the back yard, a good gardener needs to know how long a plant will stick around the garden, so understanding a few plant life cycle basics – annuals, perennials, biennials – is essential. But it shouldn’t end there. Today’s savvy gardeners should also expand their plant life cycle know-how to be able to characterize winter annuals and tender perennials, as well as long- and short-lived perennials. A plant’s life cycle is simply the time and conditions needed to take a plant from germination to reproduction and finally death. Some plants can complete their life cycle in a matter of weeks, while others can take years – even decades. Mouseear cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), for example, only takes eight weeks to complete its life cycle, while American century plant (Agave americana) can take as long as 100 years before it blooms and dies. It’s all preprogrammed in a given species’ genetics. If you’re still a little unsure about basic plant terminology and the life expectancy of certain types of plants, read on… The Annual An annual is simply a plant that can complete its full life cycle – from germination to death – in one growing season. Some do this quickly, only living through spring, for example. Others might stick around the garden and bloom all spring, summer and fall before they kick it. Still others, called winter annuals, germinate in the fall or winter, remain as seedlings throughout the cold season and finally bloom in spring before dying. (So it pays to know what kind of annual you’re dealing with.) Most folks like annals because the plants are floriferous. They brighten mixed borders with nonstop color and are a must for container plantings. Of particular interest are those that thrive and bloom all growing season, like the sun-loving narrowleaf zinnia (Zinnia angustifolia), sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) and marigolds (Tagetes spp.). Another important thing about annuals is they often germinate quickly and easily, as well as set a lot of seed. Consequently, they tend to be easy to grow from seed and commonly reseed themselves in the garden if allowed.
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