What is Annual plant?
[[File:Doperwt rijserwt peulen Pisum sativum.jpg|right|thumb|240px|[[Pea]]s are an annual plant.]] In [[Botany]], an '''annual plant''' is a [[plant]] that usually [[:wikt:germinate|germinates]], [[flower]]s and dies in one [[year]]. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed. Some seedless plants can also be considered annuals even though they do not flower. In gardening, annual often refers to a plant grown outdoors in the spring and summer and surviving just for one growing season. Many food plants are, or are grown as, annuals, including most domesticated [[grain]]s. Some [[perennial]]s and [[biennial plant|biennials]] are grown in gardens as annuals for convenience, particularly if they are not considered [[hardiness (plants)|cold hardy]] for the local climate. [[Carrot]], [[celery]] and [[parsley]] are true biennials that are usually grown as annual crops for their edible roots, petioles and leaves, respectively. [[Tomato]], [[sweet potato]] and [[bell pepper]] are tender perennials usually grown as annuals. Ornamental annuals are often called bedding plants. Annuals are often used in [[garden]]s to provide splashes of color, as they tend to have a longer season of bloom than hardy herbaceous perennials. Examples of true annuals include [[maize|corn]], [[lettuce]], [[pea]], [[cauliflower]], [[watermelon]], [[bean]], [[zinnia]] and [[Tagetes|marigold]]. == Summer annuals == Summer annuals sprout, flower and die within the same spring/summer/fall. The lawn weed, [[crabgrass]], is a summer annual. ==Related pages== *[[Biennial plant]] *[[Perennial|Perennial plant]] == References == * Eduard Strasburger, Peter Sitte, Elmar Weiler, Andreas Bresinsky, Christian Körner: ''Lehrbuch der Botanik für Hochschulen.'' Heidelberg 2002 (35.). {{ISBN|3-8274-1010-X}} [[Category:Botany]] [[Category:Types of plants]]