Annual vs Perennial Flowers: What’s the Difference?

When planning a flower garden, you’ll often see plants labeled as annuals or perennials. Understanding the difference can help you decide what to plant.

Annual Flowers

Annuals complete their life cycle in one season. They grow, bloom, produce seeds, and then die within the same year.

Examples include:

• Petunias

• Marigolds

• Zinnias

Annuals provide bright color throughout the season.

Perennial Flowers

Perennials return year after year. While they may only bloom during certain seasons, they continue growing each year.

Examples include:

• Lavender

• Peonies

• Black-eyed Susans

Many gardeners combine both annuals and perennials to keep their gardens colorful throughout the year.

Sources:

https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/

https://hgic.clemson.edu/category/flowers/

AI use disclaimer:

This article was written with support from ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence tool created by OpenAI. AI assistance was used to help outline the post and generate draft text. The author reviewed and edited the information before publishing.