Perennials are plants that can survive frost and live for more than two years. There are a few different types:
Half-hardy perennials (tender perennials) are plants that will not survive frost and must be brought indoors during the winter, for example, geraniums. They are perennial as they will continue to live if they grow somwhere without frosty but will not survive frost or ice. Some plants are treated as annuals in our colder climate but may grow as perrenials in a warmer country. Tomato plants, for example, live several years in their natural tropical/subtropical habitat but are grown as annuals in Ireland because they don't survive the winter.
Woody perennials are plants that maintain live woody stems at the end of the growing season, i.e. they do not die back into the ground. e.g. lilac. These plants are usually very tough and hardy, flowering every year and seeding every year.
Herbaceous perennial are non-woody plants that die back to a rootstock each autumn and regrow in the following spring. For example: Hardy geraniums. A hosta (pictured above) is a perrenial plant that dies back in winter and grows again in spring.
Half-hardy perennials (tender perennials) are plants that will not survive frost and must be brought indoors during the winter, for example, geraniums. They are perennial as they will continue to live if they grow somwhere without frosty but will not survive frost or ice. Some plants are treated as annuals in our colder climate but may grow as perrenials in a warmer country. Tomato plants, for example, live several years in their natural tropical/subtropical habitat but are grown as annuals in Ireland because they don't survive the winter.
Woody perennials are plants that maintain live woody stems at the end of the growing season, i.e. they do not die back into the ground. e.g. lilac. These plants are usually very tough and hardy, flowering every year and seeding every year.
Herbaceous perennial are non-woody plants that die back to a rootstock each autumn and regrow in the following spring. For example: Hardy geraniums. A hosta (pictured above) is a perrenial plant that dies back in winter and grows again in spring.