Biennials
Biennial plants generally live for 2 years. Their growth starts from the seed and forms the root structure, stem and leaves, this also includes the organs that store food for the plant to grow and develop. Through the plant’s first year it produces a short stem and a base layer of leaves that resemble a rose.
Biennials only complete their growth after being exposed to the cold for an extended period of time. (Vernalization).
• Ex: After growing the stem and leaves in their first spring they are then subject to the winter months where the plant will freeze and lay dormant before flowering in the following spring season.
In the second year of the plant’s life, as it begins to wake up it will start to bloom flowers and produce fruit. after bearing fruit the plant will begin to re-seed and die shortly after.
Vernalization can influence the life cycle of certain plants, potentially causing them to complete their development within a single year rather than the typical two-year biennial cycle. This phenomenon is often observed in specific geographic regions, where environmental conditions may induce some biennials to behave as annuals.
