Biennials are a smaller group of plants that have a two-year growth cycle. Following is some more information about biennial plants along with their characteristics and a list of biennial vegetables and flowering plants.
If biennials are planted in a location that can aid in reseeding, you can have a full foliage of these plants every year.
Owning a garden filled with gorgeous and colorful flowers or having your own little vegetable garden is the pride and joy of any gardener. You really cannot compare the feeling you derive when the fruits of your labor are the envy of others.
Biennial plants are one such envy-worthy plants you would like to have growing around your home. You can also choose to make your neighbors jealous by growing your own vegetables or then really fume with jealousy with an array of colorful and fragrant flowers, attracting butterflies and birds.
However, these plants come with a small hitch, as patience is required to see these plants grow and flower, and they are ideal for dedicated and devoted gardeners only. But once all is done, the fruits of your labor are well-paid off by the beautiful blossoms and delicious vegetables. Following is some information along with a list of these beautiful biennials.
Information and Characteristics of Biennial Plants
Biennials refer to the plant’s longevity. They take two years to complete their life cycle. A biennial plant’s life cycle begins as seeds which later produces the roots, stems, and leaves.
In the first season, their growth results in a small rosette of leaves close to the soil. The next year, i.e., during their second season, they begin to grow, flower, and seed, which is soon followed by the death of the entire plant.
During the long growth period of the plant, it prepares itself to grow and bloom as it conserves its energy to develop complex flower structures, produces a large amount of seeds, and becomes mowing and/or grazing resistant. Below are some characteristics of biyearly plants.
- Biennials have a late season growth at ground level and they continue to grow even in spring.
- They bloom in the late spring and summer and sport beautiful flowers on tall spikes.
- They have significant seed production, and their seedlings emerge again between late summer and fall.
List of Biyearly Flowering Plants
Angelica
Angelica are large and upright plants, which grow up to a height of around 6 feet, thus making them ideal plants to be used as accents to give any garden a dark and shady border. They are attractive, large, and showy, especially once they flower, displaying their greenish-white flowers decorating the tips. The leaves, flower stems, and seeds have a lot of culinary uses, while the roots are used to make medicines and liquor.
Black-eyed Susan
Black-eyed Susans grow over 3 feet tall. They are known for their flowers, which are bright golden yellow in color with a large brownish-purple center. These flowers are 2 – 3 inches wide and grow in a stalk. These plants are very competitive and push other plants out.
Clary Sage
Clary sage is a fast growing and fragrant flower. Its height and beauty makes it ideal as an additional border. It can grow up to 4 feet in height and is found in shades of white, pinks, mauve, and violets.
Common Mullein
Common Mullein are weeds that are usually found in waste places. They can practically grow anywhere like roadsides, near streams, in fields, gardens, and forests. The plant is known for its tall flower spike, which can grow to around 10 feet in height. However, not all flowers bloom, making them less attractive to many. The flowers that do bloom have a beautiful golden yellow color with 5 petals each, and they span up to an inch wide.
Delphinium
Delphiniums look like they have stepped out of a storybook―they are almost picture perfect. The flower’s spike comes in shades of pink, white, purple, and blue. These plants have a tendency to grow very tall and can grow up to a height of 20 feet.
Dusty Miller
Dusty Millers are a favorite of many because they go well with everything. They grow up to about 3 feet and are deer-resistant and drought-tolerant. To top that, they require low maintenance.
Evening Primrose
Evening primrose has a light lemon scent that’s ideal for a large bright yellow flower with four petals. It has a hair stem with branched stems from the basal rosette.
Forget-Me-Not
Forget-me-nots are known for their distinct delicate sky-blue color, which bloom in the spring. However, they can be found in white and pink colors. They form low mounds of grayish-green leaves, full of clusters of flowers. They prefer cool and shaded areas with moisture and well-drained soil. They grow to a height of about 8 inches.
Foxglove
Foxgloves are found in an array of colors and shades, viz., blue, while, pink, etc. These plants require a rich, moist, well-drained soil, with a light shade to grow to their fullest.
Hollyhock
Hollyhocks are a tall spike plant, which grow up to a height of 8 feet. The blooms come in an array of colors, viz., red, yellow, white, pink, and violet. You can also find them in a double color and size.
Lunaria or Honesty
Many know Lunaria as Honesty. It is also called the money plant and is spotted in many gardens. That’s because this plant has fascinating seedpods that grow on the side of a large coin, which is translucent and shimmery. The flowers are fragrant, visually attractive, and come in shades of blue, pink, and white.
Pansy
Pansies are from the Viola genus. They are often found in an array of colors, viz., white, red, orange, pink, and blue. They grow up to around 3 inches in height and bring in the splash of color that every garden requires.
Queen Anne’s Lace
Queen Anne’s Lace is also called Wild Carrot. This plant can grow up to the height of 4 – 5 feet. The flowers are mostly white in color, but you can see some in pink. Queen Anne’s Lace was used as antiseptic diuretics to treat skin diseases. The seed was used to help wash out urinary stones, the roots were used as antacids, and poultice of the roots were used to relieve itching.
Sweet William
Sweet William is small, usually only a couple of inches tall, and has a distinct spicy fragrance of cloves and cinnamon. The flowers are usually bright and found in hues of pink, magenta, salmon, red, and white.
Viola
Violas grow up to a foot in height and are found in colors of violet, blue, and yellow. They have a dark green foliage accentuating the color of the flowers, which grow slightly above the foliage.
Polyanthus
California Poppy
These plants spread quickly and yield beautiful bright red, yellow, pink, white, and orange flowers. They grow up to a foot in height. The flowers tend to close at night or when it rains.
Canterbury Bells
Canterbury bells are often found partially shaded. They come in an array of colors, viz., pink, white, purple, blue, lavender, and white cup and saucer. These plants grow up to a height of around 3 feet and bloom in late spring or early midsummer.
Wallflower
Wallflowers are a native of Southern Europe and are often seen on old walls or cliffs; hence the appropriate name, ‘wallflower’. The plant grows up to 3 feet in height. Their flowers consist of 4 petals and 4 sepals and are around 2 inches wide. They are mostly seen in shades of yellow and orange.
Yellow Horned Poppy
These biennials have four silky petals, closely cocooned by long curved seedpods. They are often found with grayish-green leaves that are covered with short hair-like fuzz.
List of Biennial Vegetables
Vegetables, the ones given below, are some biennials that you have probably come across.
- Beetroots
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbages
- Caraways
- Carrots
- Onions
- Celery
- Parsley
- Parsnips
- Silver-beet
- Turnips
FAQs
Biennial plant
What are biennials answer? ›
Biennials are plants that complete their life cycle in two years. They germinate, develop a root system, stem and leaves in the first year. Later in their second year, they yield flowers and bear fruit. A few herbs are also classified as biennials, including spinach.
What are biennial plants explain with example? ›
biennial, any flowering plant that completes its life cycle in two growing seasons. During the first growing season, biennials produce roots, stems, and leaves. During the second growing season, they produce flowers, fruits, and seeds, and then they die.
What are the examples of biennial crops in Nigeria? ›
Biennial Crops (e.g. ginger, pineapple, cassava, etc) Perennial Crops (e.g cocoa, mango, etc.)
Is tomato a biennial plant? ›
Tomato is a perennial herbaceous plant but it is often grown as an annual crop even if biennial and perennial forms exist. Tomato is cultivated in tropical and temperate climates in open field or under greenhouse in temperate climate.
Is Rose a biennial plant? ›
Is rose an annual, biennial or perennial? Roses are perennial plants.
Is potato a biennial plant? ›
potato, (Solanum tuberosum), annual plant in the nightshade family (Solanaceae), grown for its starchy edible tubers.
Is bamboo a biennial plant? ›
Do you think bamboo is an annual, biennial, or perennial? Bamboo is a perennial, meaning it lives for more than two years. Most plants are perennials.
Is Carrot a biennial plant? ›
Carrots (Daucus carota) are grown worldwide as a vegetable. Carrots are biennial plants, the swollen roots are produced in the year of sowing and are harvested, stored, and consumed.
Is coconut a biennial plant? ›
Coconuts are important oil crops grown in humid areas of the tropics. They are perennial palms that face a number of limitations for sustainable production.
Annual plants complete their lifecycle in one year. E.g., jowar, sunflower, corn, rice, etc. Biennial plants are those which complete their lifecycle in two years. E.g., carrot, beetroot, etc.
Is a tree a biennial plant? ›
Trees, shrubs and vines are woody perennials. They do not die back to the ground every year with the change of seasons, even though some of these plants may lose their foliage.
Which fruit is biennial? ›
Biennial bearing is more common in certain fruit crops like mango, apple, pear, apricot and avocado, and is almost nonexistent in grapes. Biennial bearing is a regular feature of Arabica coffee production in Ethiopia and East Africa, and indeed throughout the coffee-growing world.
What vegetable plants are biennial? ›
Among vegetables, popular biennials include beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chard, collards, kale, kohlrabi, leek, onion, parsley, parsnip, rutabaga, salsify and turnip.
Is mango biennial plant? ›
Mango is not an example of biennial plant. Biennial plants complete their life cycle in two years. In the first year they bear vegetative parts i.e. roots, stems and leaves and in the second year, they bear flowers, fruits and seeds.
Is watermelon a biennial? ›
The watermelon plant is an annual that grows well in hot climates. Its vines grow on the ground and have branched tendrils, deeply cut leaves, and flowers borne singly in the axil of a leaf (e.g., where the leaf joins the stem).
Is Sugarcane a biennial plant? ›
Sugarcane is a tropical, perennial grass that forms lateral shoots at the base to produce multiple stems, typically 3 to 4 m (10 to 13 ft) high and about 5 cm (2 in) in diameter. The stems grow into cane stalk, which when mature, constitutes around 75% of the entire plant.
Is corn a biennial? ›
Corn is an annual. It sprouts from a seed in the spring, grows all summer and the plant dies in the fall. Perennial plants can live for many years.
Is Guava a biennial? ›
Guava is the odd one out because it is a perennial plant whereas the rest of them are biennial plants.
What flowers are biennial? ›
Biennial plants grow leaves, stems and roots the first year, then go dormant for the winter. In the second year the plant will flower and produce seeds before dying. Biennials are usually sold with perennials and include sweet william, foxglove, money plant and hollyhock.
Description. Pineapple is a biennial or perennial herb, meaning the plant can live for two years or longer. It grows up to 150cm tall. Leaves are sword-shaped and up to a metre long.
Is cotton a biennial plant? ›
Cotton has a botanically indeterminate perennial growth habit and originated in the tropics. However, cotton has been domesticated as an annual crop in temperate areas worldwide.
Is onion a biennial crop? ›
By nature, onions are biennial plants. Their natural rhythm is to grow from a seed, to a plant, and then into a dormant bulb in their first year. The following spring (after being exposed to cold but sub lethal winter temperatures), the bulb will begin growing again and soon produce a flower spike.
Is wheat a biennial plant? ›
Wheat belongs to the grass family (Poaceae), and it is a C3, annual (or biennial) plant. The crop is mostly cultivated to produce grains, but it can also be used as an annual forage crop (hay and silage) or as pasture.
Is okra a biennial? ›
Okra is an annual vegetable that loves summer heat. Whether you grow it from seed or buy transplants, you'll find it does best if you wait to plant it outdoors until night temperatures reliably stay above 55°F.
Is a foxglove biennial? ›
Foxgloves are biennial which means that plants establish and grow leaves in the first year, then flower and produce seeds in the second. A few foxgloves are perennial, but they aren't reliable and so are best treated as biennials too.
Which one is an example of a biennial and monocarpic plant? ›
All annual (eg- Wheat, Rice) and biennial plants (eg-Carrot, Radish) are monocarpic. A few perennial plants(Bambusa tulda , Agave, Banana, etc) are also monocarpic. Plants like bamboo species, (e.g., Bambusa tuida) flower only once In their lifetime, usually after 50-100 years.
Is Banana annual or biennial? ›
The banana plant (Musa, Musella, and Ensete) is a herbaceous perennial.
Is cauliflower a biennial? ›
Cauliflower is a “biennial” crop – meaning that it is a flowering plant that takes two years to complete its life cycle. Cauliflower belongs to the family Brassicaceae, of the species Brassica oleracea, meaning it is a relative of broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, collards, kale, and kohlrabi!
Is spinach a biennial? ›
Spinach is annual for leaf production and biennial for seed production. It produces rosettes of fleshy leaves, which may be crinkled or smooth in the vegetative phase; later, the stem elongates and forms flower stalks during the reproductive phase, with narrow, pointed leaves.
Examples of biennial plants are members of the onion family including leek, some members of the cabbage family, common mullein, parsley, fennel, Lunaria, silverbeet, black-eyed Susan, sweet William, colic weed, carrot, and some hollyhocks.
Is Lavender a biennial? ›
Lavender is a perennial that will last for several years under the right conditions. Because of its Mediterranean origin, lavender loves blazing hot sun and dry soil. If your lavender doesn't thrive, it's most likely due to overwatering, too much shade, and high humidity levels.
Is pumpkin a biennial? ›
Pumpkin plants are tender annuals. Protect them from frost and cold weather both spring and fall.
Is Strawberry a biennial plant? ›
Since strawberries are perennials, the potential to keep them from year to year is there. The reality of growing strawberries, however, is they are very susceptible to a host of diseases that can accumulate within the strawberry plant or within the soil over time.
Is Lotus a biennial? ›
Lotus is a biennial aquatic plant that has either the stems or the stems of the stems.
Is Ginger a biennial? ›
Ginger is a biennial or perennial reed-like herb, grown for the pungent, spicy underground stems or rhizomes. The stems reach a height of 3 feet, with lanceolate, smooth leaves up to 8 inches long. The plants are propagated by small divisions of the rhizomes.
Is Papaya a biennial plant? ›
The papaya is a herbaceous perennial 2–10 m in height. It usually has a single, semi-woody, hollow, erect stem, which terminates with a cluster of large, palmately-lobed leaves with 25–100 cm long petioles and latex vessels in all tissues.
Is beetroot a biennial plant? ›
The garden beet is a biennial plant and is primarily grown for the thick fleshy taproot that forms during the first season. In the second season a tall, branched, leafy stem arises to bear clusters of minute green flowers that develop into brown corky fruits commonly called seedballs.
What are the biennial weeds? ›
Biennial weeds usually live for two years. In the first year seeds germinate and grow without flowering, forming what is called a rosette. A rosette is a plant form with no central stalk. All leaves in a rosette arise from close to the soil surface, as in thistle.
Are apples biennial? ›
Apple trees sometimes crop bi-yearly, known as biennial bearing, due to bad conditions or excessively heavy or light crops. Some apple varieties are more prone to biennial bearing than others.
Biennials - Plants which require two years to complete their life cycle. First season growth results in a small rosette of leaves near the soil surface. During the second season's growth stem elongation, flowering and seed formation occur followed by the entire plant's death.
Is carrot a biennial plant? ›
Carrots (Daucus carota) are grown worldwide as a vegetable. Carrots are biennial plants, the swollen roots are produced in the year of sowing and are harvested, stored, and consumed.
Why are some plants biennial? ›
Biennial plants have a 2-year lifespan.
These in-betweener plants live longer than annuals because they have a 2-year lifecycle. But their growth is a little unpredictable. The life cycle might depend on the climate. For example, while kale is technically a biennial, it doesn't always survive freezing winters.
How many biennials are there? ›
Nowadays, there are biennials all around the world and the Directory of the Biennial Foundation lists over 270 active biennials. There is a clear concentration of biennials in European and East Asian cities, with the most famous occurring in the Americas, Africa, or South Asia.
Which herbs are biennials? ›
Annual, Perennial, Biennial Herbs Policy
- Annual (started from seed, died in the winter) Annual herbs such as Basil, Dill, Nasturtiums, Scented Geraniums.
- Biennial (grows 1st year & flowers 2nd year for seeds) Biennial herbs such as Parsley, Caraway, Garlic, Onions.
Garlic is a perennial that grows in spring and goes dormant by late summer.
Is corn a biennial plant? ›
Annual crops (e.g., corn) complete their life cycle in less than one year. Biennial crops complete this process over two years. Biennial plants normally develop vegetative growth the first year and flower the second year. Perennial crops (e.g., apple) grow several years and flower and produce fruit each year.
Is coconut a biennial crop? ›
Coconuts are perennial crops. The sustainability of coconut production depends on both inherent and environmental factors.
Is Mango a biennial plant? ›
The biennial bearing or alternate bearing habit of mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a major problem for its commercial cultivation for getting expected productivity.
What flower is biennial? ›
Biennial plants grow leaves, stems and roots the first year, then go dormant for the winter. In the second year the plant will flower and produce seeds before dying. Biennials are usually sold with perennials and include sweet william, foxglove, money plant and hollyhock.
*Broccoli is a biennial crop, but short season varieties act as annuals when planted early in the spring.
