Biennials are plants with a two-year life cycle.

Biennials are plants with a two-year life cycle.

• A. They complete in one year
• B. They complete in two years
• C. They complete in three to four years
• D. They complete in four to five years

Answer: (B)

Biennials have a life cycle that spans two growing seasons. In the first year, the plant focuses on vegetative growth and stores energy. In the second year, it uses that stored energy to flower, produce seed, and then die. Because the entire life cycle is completed over two seasons, the correct description is two years. This differs from annuals, which finish their life cycle in one growing season, and from perennials, which live and can flower for multiple years. Classic examples include carrots and parsley, which grow the plant’s structure in year one and bloom in year two if not harvested earlier.

Biennials have a life cycle that spans two growing seasons. In the first year, the plant focuses on vegetative growth and stores energy. In the second year, it uses that stored energy to flower, produce seed, and then die. Because the entire life cycle is completed over two seasons, the correct description is two years. This differs from annuals, which finish their life cycle in one growing season, and from perennials, which live and can flower for multiple years. Classic examples include carrots and parsley, which grow the plant’s structure in year one and bloom in year two if not harvested earlier.