Which plant is an example of a biennial?

Which plant is an example of a biennial?

• A. Thistle
• B. Dandelion
• C. Plantain
• D. Spider Wort

Answer: (A)

Biennials complete their life cycle in two growing seasons: vegetative growth in the first year, then flowering, seed production, and death in the second year. Thistle often follows this pattern, spending year one as a rosette and year two sending up flowering stems and producing seeds. That two-year timing is what makes it a classic example of a biennial. Dandelion tends to be perennial, and plantain and spiderwort are also usually perennials, so they don’t fit the two-year cycle as neatly.

Biennials complete their life cycle in two growing seasons: vegetative growth in the first year, then flowering, seed production, and death in the second year. Thistle often follows this pattern, spending year one as a rosette and year two sending up flowering stems and producing seeds. That two-year timing is what makes it a classic example of a biennial. Dandelion tends to be perennial, and plantain and spiderwort are also usually perennials, so they don’t fit the two-year cycle as neatly.