Which term is used for plants that survive through multiple growing seasons?

The term used for plants that survive through multiple growing seasons is perennials. Perennials are characterized by their ability to live for more than two years, often returning each season from their root systems. This resilience allows them to endure through various environmental conditions and contribute to the ecosystem over time.

In contrast, annuals complete their life cycle in a single growing season, germinating, flowering, producing seeds, and dying all within one year. Biennials take two growing seasons to complete their life cycle, typically forming a rosette of leaves in the first year and flowering in the second before dying. Winter annuals are a specific type of annual that germinate in the fall, grow over the winter, and go to seed in spring, but they too do not survive beyond one growing season. Thus, perennials are distinct as they re-emerge year after year, being integral to many ecosystems and agricultural practices.