What is the life cycle difference among annual, biennial, and perennial plants?

The correct answer highlights the distinct characteristics of plant life cycles: annuals, biennials, and perennials each have unique growth and reproductive patterns.

Annual plants complete their entire life cycle—from germination to flowering, seed production, and death—within a single growing season, which typically spans one year. This allows them to produce seeds quickly and take advantage of favorable growing conditions, after which they die off and their seeds can germinate in the following season.

Biennial plants require two years to complete their life cycle. In the first year, they typically grow leaves and establish their root systems while storing energy. In the second year, they flower, produce seeds, and then die. This extended life cycle allows biennials to adapt to their environment over a longer timeframe.

Perennial plants, on the other hand, are characterized by their ability to live for multiple years. They usually flower and produce seeds over many growing seasons, so they have strategies for surviving adverse conditions, such as winter dormancy.

Understanding these distinctions is essential for effective landscape management and appropriate planting strategies, influencing factors such as plant selection, care, and maintenance in turf and landscape applications.