Perenials / hardys / herbaceous

Hi all get very confussed about which is which can some one help.

Paul

 

hi paul, perenials die off in winter and return in spring lasts for years, hardys are well hardy to our weather. and herbaceous sets leaves one year flowers next year then dies, hope it helps you.Dee

 

Well, it certainly helped me,Dee. Does that mean that all Bi-ennial plants are herbaceous. I'm thinking, Lupins, Foxgloves Hollyhocks etc. They all take two years to flower.

 

Thankyou dee. Even after titchmarshes book with out reference i never remember this. I hadn't realise *all* perennials died back for the winter. This explains why you always plant spring bulbs around them. :D

 

Biennials are plants which grow one year. flower the following and then set seed and die.
Perennials live for more than one year (if you are lucky) and flower every year (if they feel like it)until they die.
Herbaceous plants are those which die back to the roots in winter.
Hardy plants are those which can survive a normal British winter outside unprotected.
Lupins are short lived perennials, they usually last about 3 years before rotting off.
Hollyhocks are perennials treated as annuals and biennials.
Foxgloves are true biennials.

 

Palaustris,

I dont think i'll ever learn all this. :( :(

 

Hi Paul. You have Annuals - which last for one year; Biennials - which last for two years - you sow in the first year and they flower in the second year; And Perennials - which last for several years, dying back in winter and regrowing the next year. The distinction between biennial and perennial is a bit grey. There are a number of plants that are regarded as biennial, and if you let them seed in the second year they will usually die; but if you prevent them going to seed in the second year they can often be persuaded to live another year or two, thus becoming short lived perennials.

Hardy simply means that it will survive cold winter weather. Annuals can be hardy, ie you can sow them outside when it is still frosty, but they can also be tender (ie not hardy) and if you put them outside too early a frost could kill them well before their year is up. Hardiness is simply a matter of how much natural antifreeze the plant contains. Actually too much wet kills as many plants over winter as the cold does.

Perennials can also be hardy or tender. Buzzy Lizzies and Geraniums (technically Pelargoniums) are perennial because they have the potential to last for several years if you protect them over winter. But they are also tender and are likely to die if you don't protect them.

It can be confusing, as tender perennials, ie plants capable of living for several years, but without any natural antifreeze, are often incorrectly described as annuals by garden centres and on seed packets as well, because they tend to die over winter from the cold. You would be surprised how many so called "annuals" are really tender perennials. Things like Petunias, the trailing Lobelia erinus and bedding Salvias (Salvia splendens).

My understanding of the word herbaceous is that it means a plant with soft green foliage (which is one definition of a herb) as opposed to a plant that becomes woody. Consequently herbaceous plant generally die back and disappear over the winter, but may come back the next year, as opposed to woody plants that lose their leaves but do not totally disappear.

Sorry - I seem to have overlapped with some posts made simce I started.

 

Thanks, Palustris

 

And now for the real answer. Annuals, these are sown and flower the same year. Biennials, these are sown one year to flower the next. Perennials, these are your trees and shrubs. Herbaceous Perennials, these are plants which grow, flower and die back every year. Among these are Dicentra, Phlox, Japanese Anemone and Delphinium. David.