Virginia Commercial Applicator Turf Category 3B Practice Test

Understanding plant life cycles by how long they live helps explain this term. A plant that finishes its life cycle over two growing seasons is called a biennial. In the first year it grows and stores energy, and in the second year it flowers and produces seeds, typically followed by death. This distinguishes it from annuals, which complete everything in one season; perennials, which live for several years and can flower multiple times; and monocarpic plants, which may live for multiple years but reproduce only once before dying. The two-season pattern—growing first year, flowering/setting seed in the second—is what defines a biennial.