What’s the difference?

Lets just keep this simple. I will give you all the basic knowledge you need to get started!

An annual is a plant that you have to plant every year. They do not survive the winter.

A perennial comes back every year.

How do you know if it’s an annual or perennial?

Every flower has a zone number attached to it. It will say Zone 2 or Zone 3, and so on. You will find this on the tag that is stuck in the pot or flat.

Wisconsin is Zone 5, but Zone 4 is an even hardier perennial for us. You could get away with a Zone 6 perennial, but keep in mind, it may not come back. What may help a Zone 6 perennial come back, is placing it in a more protected area close to the house, or covering it with hay in the fall.

Sometimes on a tag that says it’s a perennial, always be sure to check the zone number on it. A lot of times, tag companies just put out a general tag, so that plant my be a perennial somewhere else, but not for our zone.

Most garden centers will have their annuals and perennials separated from each other to make shopping easier for you. That way you don’t have to constantly be reading the small print on a tag.

If you are going out shopping for perennials this year, be sure to ask someone who works at the garden center where their perennials are located. This way you won’t be disappointed next spring when you are waiting for them to pop up or turn green.