Annuals vs Perennials

[DancingLady]

An annual is a plant that only lives one season, while a perennial is one that lives many. Some plants, like fushias, are sold as annuals, but can be perennials if properly covered and insulated with leaves through the winter, and the winter is not too extreme.

What other plants can be coaxed into living multiple seasons, even though they are sold as annuals?

 

[gata montes]

An annual is a plant that only lives one season, while a perennial is one that lives many. Some plants, like fushias, are sold as annuals, but can be perennials if properly covered and insulated with leaves through the winter, and the winter is not too extreme.

What other plants can be coaxed into living multiple seasons, even though they are sold as annuals?

As the difference between perennials and annuals is not always quite as clear cut as it sounds - I think to be honest - that the answer will very much depend on the climate the plants are growing in.

As although perennials are plants that will generally once planted keep returning year after year and annuals are known to have a limited lifespan as they usually only survive one season - due to the fact that they normally die off as the temperatures start to cool.

There are also some plants that are known as “ half-hardy annuals ” or “ frost-tender perennials ” - which because they are native to a particular region - would be regarded as perennials in their native environment - but - would be considered to be annuals if grown in their non-native environment where climatic conditions where different.
For example Gazanias or Gaillardias - which are regarded as perennials in a warm climate and often flower throughout the year in their native environment - but when grown in a cooler climate they are classed as annuals because they can't survive the different climatic conditions.

 

[DancingLady]

How would one be able to tell when choosing a plant if it has a chance of surviving a milder winter? Would that be something you would have to research at home before going to the garden shop?

 

[gata montes]

How would one be able to tell when choosing a plant if it has a chance of surviving a milder winter? Would that be something you would have to research at home before going to the garden shop?

Not necessarily - as apart from the fact that most plants generally have labels with a description - as well as instructions on how to care for them - if going to a good garden store - if you were to ask - they should in theory to be able to answer that question very easily - however if you have a particular plant in mind that you are not familiar with - I have to be honest and say that there is never any harm in checking online yourself or failing that you could always pose the question here - especially as I feel more than sure that you would get a very satisfactory reply.

 

[kevinkimers]

That's a good question. I would have to agree with previous post that it would possibly be best determined by where and how they are grown as much as the type of plant it is. Although there are certain plants that no matter what the conditions are that they are grown in, they die at the end of their growing season and wont return. I think corn is one of them.