Perennials Hollyhock

A biennial plant is a flowering plant that takes two years to complete its lifecycle. In the first year the plant grows leaves, stems, and roots (vegetative structures), then it enters a period of dormancy over the colder months. more...

Home
Bath
Bedding
Furniture
Gardening & Plants
Bird & Wildlife Accessories
Fertilizer, Soil Amendments
Garden Décor
Garden Structures & Fencing
Hand Tools, Gear & Equipment
Other Gardening & Plants
Outdoor Lighting
Pest & Weed Control
Planters, Pots, Window Boxes
Plants, Seeds, Bulbs
Aquatic Plants
Other Plants, Seedlings
Plants Bog
Plants Lotus
Plants Marginal, Shallow
Plants Oxygenating
Plants Water Hyacinth
Plants Water Lilies
Plants, Seedlings
Seeds
Bonsai
Plants, Seedlings
Seeds
Cactus & Succulents
Ferns
Flower Bulbs, Roots, Corms
Amaryllis
Caladium
Crocus
Daffodil
Dahlia
Gladiolus
Hyacinth
Iris
Lily
Mixed Lots
Other Bulbs, Roots, Corms
Peony
Tulip
Flower Plants, Seedlings
Annuals
Biennials
Mixed Perennials
Other Perennials
Perennials
Perennials Brugmansia
Perennials Butterfly...
Perennials Clematis
Perennials Columbine
Perennials Daisy
Perennials Daylily
Perennials Hosta
Perennials Iris
Perennials Lavender
Perennials Phlox
Perennials Sedum
Perennials Violet
Flower Seeds
Annuals
Annuals Alyssum
Annuals Bachelor's Button
Annuals Cosmos
Annuals Marigold
Annuals Mixed Annual Seeds
Annuals Morning Glory
Annuals Petunia
Annuals Poppy
Annuals Sunflower
Annuals Zinnia
Biennials
Mixed Perennials
Other Annual Seeds
Other Perennials
Perennials
Perennials Columbine
Perennials Daisy
Perennials Hibiscus
Perennials Hollyhock
Perennials Hosta
Perennials Lavender
Perennials Lily
Perennials Penstemon
Perennials Poppy
Perennials Primrose
Perennials Purple Coneflower
Groundcovers, Vines
Other
Plants, Seedlings
Seeds
Herbs
Plants, Seedlings
Seeds
Houseplants
African Violets
Bamboo
Begonia
Carnivorous
Other Houseplants
Streptocarpus
Orchids, Tropicals
Plants Banana
Plants Ginger
Plants Orchids
Plants Other
Plants Palms
Plants Plumeria
Plants, Seedlings
Seeds
Seeds Banana
Seeds Othe
Seeds Palm
Seeds Plumeria
Ornamental Grasses
Other
Roses
Shrubs
Plants Azalea
Plants Dogwood
Plants Forsythia
Plants Gardenia
Plants Hydrangea
Plants Lilac
Plants Other
Plants, Seedlings
Seeds
Trees
Evergreen
Fruit, Flowering
Nut
Other Trees
Shade
Vegetables & Fruits
Plants Berries
Plants Other
Plants Peppers
Plants Tomatoes
Plants, Seedlings
Seeds Beans
Seeds Cabbage
Seeds Carrot
Seeds Cucumbers & Squash
Seeds Gourd
Seeds Lettuce
Seeds Melons
Seeds Onion
Seeds Other
Seeds Peas
Seeds Peppers
Seeds Pumpkin
Seeds Tomatoes
Seeds, Bulbs
Publications
Seed Starting, Grow Lights
Home Decor
Lamps, Lighting, Ceiling...
Patio & Grilling
Pools & Spas
Rugs & Carpets

Usually the stem remains very short and the leaves are low to the ground, forming a rosette. Many biennials require a cold treatment, or vernalization, before they will flower. The next spring or summer the stem of the biennial plant elongates greatly, or \"bolts\". The plant then flowers, producing fruits and seeds before it finally dies. There are far fewer biennials than either perennials or annuals.

Under extreme climatic conditions, a biennial plant may complete its life cycle in a very short period of time (e.g. three or four months instead of two years). This is quite common in vegetable or flower seedlings that were exposed to cold conditions, or vernalized, before they were planted in the ground. This behavior leads to many normally biennial plants being treated as annuals in some areas. Flowering can be induced in some biennials without vernalization by application of the plant hormone gibberellin, but this is rarely done commercially.

From a gardener's perspective, a plant's status as annual, biennial, or perennial often varies based on location or purpose. Biennials grown for flowers, fruits, or seeds need to be grown for two years. Biennials that are grown for edible leaves or roots are grown as annuals, e.g. beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, parsley, and Swiss chard. If a normally biennial plant is grown in extremely harsh conditions, it is likely to be treated as an annual because it will not survive the winter cold. Conversely, an annual grown under extremely favorable conditions may have highly successful seed propagation, giving it the appearance of being biennial or perennial. Some short-lived perennials may appear to be biennial rather than perennial. True biennials flower only once, while many perennials will flower every year once mature.

Examples of biennial plants are parsley, Lunaria, silverbeet, Sweet William, colic weed, and carrot. Plant breeders have produced annual cultivars of several biennials that will flower the first year from seed, e.g. foxglove, stock, and hollyhock.

Read more at Wikipedia.org