Terms
Wildflowers can be classified into three groups based on their life cycle.
Annuals – Complete their entire life cycle in one growing season: a seed germinates,
a plant is produced, and the plant flowers, produces seed, and dies. Some annuals produce flowers and seeds early in the year, others grow all season and produce their flowers and seeds in the fall.
Biennials – Require two growing seasons to complete their life cycle. In the first year, a plant is produced from seed. In the second year, the plant flowers, produces seed, and dies.
Perennials – (Longer-lived plants) These plants originate from seed the first year, die back to the ground at the end of the growing season, and re-sprout each spring until plant death occurs. Many, but not all, perennials spend the spring storing energy in underground structures (tubers, corms, bulbs, and rhizomes) in preparation for “going dormant” during the shady summer and fall seasons. Re-growth the following spring occurs from the underground portions of the plant.
Definitions of Commonly Used Terms
Exotic introduced plants – plants able to survive in their new home only if cultivated by humans.
Introduced plants – brought, by humans, animals, or other means from other countries or regions into an area in which they were not previously present.
Native – commonly refers to plants, which were present prior to the arrival of European settlers.
Naturalized introduced plants – plants able to grow and reproduce successfully without cultivation.
Wildflower – most often refers to herbaceous flowering plants, which occur naturally (without benefit of cultivation).
