Perennials

Perennials are the plants, which have the life cycle more than two years. In Latin, the word "perennis" means many years. These plants bloom for four to six weeks during spring, summer or fall. In winter, these plants die off and return in the spring.

These plants are mostly shrubs and trees, which survive for many years.They, produce flowers, seeds and fruits year after year. These are the flowering plants that last longer and keep on flowering throughout the years. Most take two years until they are old enough to bloom. Examples: Geraniums, Water lily, etc. Perennials

Perennial plant can either be short lived or long lived. There are few woody plants like trees, which can live for over 4000 years. They can vary in height that is from millimeters to meters tall. These include low growing plumbago plant, medium height anemone plant and tall growing asclepias.

These includes wide group of plants from ferns and liverworts to the diverse group of flowering plants such as orchids and grasses.

Perennials are called monocarpic when the plants flower and produce fruits only once and die. When the perennial plants flower many seasons over their lifetime then they are termed as polycarpic.

Mostly perennial are referred as herbaceous plants, however woody plants are also perennials. These are harder than annual plants and posses certain modifications such as bulbs, tubers, woody crowns and rhizomes that allow them to live for many years.

These plants may be deciduous, alternating periods of growth and dormancy in response to climate changes, or evergreen, growing year round. These are hardy varieties of flowers that return every year without the need to replant and do not require any extra work. However, they are not a good option, if you want to change the design of your garden more often.

Most perennials grow best in slightly acidic soils having pH 6.5 to 7.0 and prefer six to eight hours of sun each day. Watering should be done directly to the soil. This helps to enhance deep rooting and reduces leaf diseases.

There are different types of Perennials, possessing different characteristics and properties.

Following are the types of perennials:

Herbaceous perennials: These are more or less soft, succulent stems. Examples: Asparagus, Oriental puppy, varieties of Phlox.
Woody perennials: These types develop woody trunks. Examples: Maples, Pines Mexican bush sage etc.
Evergreen perennials: This type of perennials retains their foliage throughout the year, which means they keep their leaves green, even in winter. Examples: Begonia
Deciduous perennials: This type of perennials is adjactly opposite to the evergreen perennials. They loose their foliage in winter and grow back in spring. Example: Goldenrod.

Perennial Plants List: