What Are the Differences Between Perennial & Annual Plants?

Considerations

• The Colorado State University Extension says that annuals require more management than perennials. Annuals must be watered, fertilized, weeded and deheaded before they succumb to the first frost in mid to late October in northern climates.

Perennial Varieties

• Perennial varieties include chrysanthemums, columbines, asters, delphinium, black-eyed Susan, sedum, coneflowers, violets and pansies. Some perennial varieties require a bit more work than others, such as the iris, which must be divided every few years, as they tend to crowd each other out.

Annual Varieties

• The list of annuals is as long and as colorful as the flowers themselves. They include begonias, petunias, geraniums, zinnias, marigolds, alyssum, rudbeckia, impatiens, verbena and asters. Many gardeners give tall perennials a permanent place as a backdrop to lower annuals, which assures flowers all through the summer months.