Native Plants
![](../_images/smarty_plants.gif)
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
![](../_images/mr_smarty_plants_logo_web_200w.jpg)
rate this answer
![](../_images/star_00.gif)
Friday - July 25, 2014
From: Nederland, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: General Botany
Title: The Designation of Annual and Perennial Plants
Answered by: Joe Marcus
QUESTION:
Sometimes when researching a plant I will find it listed as both annual and perennial. I understand that some plants will be perennial in a warm climate and die in a colder zone, but it is still a perennial that is grown out of it's preferred environment.ANSWER:
Plants that are perennials in warm climates but are not hardy in colder climates are there considered "tender perennials", but are sometimes termed "annuals" in those areas even though they are not technically annuals. Likewise, some cool-climate annual plants will survive more than one year in warm areas. Finally, some plants may complete their life cycle in one growing season or they may require more than one growing season to do so. Those species can be considered both annual and perennial because they may behave either way. As it turns out, plants are incredibly complicated organisms.
More General Botany Questions
Have invasive plants no useful purpose from Anchorage AK
September 03, 2011 - Does the definition of invasive plants include that the plant has no useful purpose? Thanks.
view the full question and answer
Question about male muscadine plants
June 01, 2012 - I have 9 muscadine plants, 3 females and 6 perfect flowered growing in my yard. A plant started growing under my porch lst year and it grew through the spaces between the boards. It grew nicely. It fl...
view the full question and answer
Are Prunus minutiflora male and female flowers on different plants?
March 12, 2014 - I have a Prunus minutiflora and have recently learned the male and female flowers are on separate plants.
How can I determine if I have a male or female plant?
view the full question and answer
Plants for soils with extreme pH values
May 24, 2009 - I am doing a project on acid and alkaline on the ph scale but all I can find is a range of 5.0 to 8.0. Do they have plants in the range of 8.0 to 14.0 or 1.0 to 5.0? If not, why is that? If so, what a...
view the full question and answer
Are Chickasaw plums evergreen?
August 13, 2014 - Are Chickasaw Plums evergreens? I've been very interested in planting a few but some websites say they are evergreens while others say the opposite. Furthermore, would I have to plant a male and fema...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |