10/15/2026
Ever wonder what the difference is between an annual and a perennial here in Florida? Let’s make it simple!
Quick Insider Tip: Location is everything! Because Florida has different climate zones, a plant that acts as a short lived annual in North Florida might thrive as a year round perennial in South Florida
Annuals: Here for a good time, not a long time! They bloom beautifully for just one single season (like winter impatiens & petunias or for summer gailardia & marigolds)
Perennials: Your garden's long term friends! These plants live and bloom for two or more years (fun fact: most plants in our area are considered perennials)
Woody Ornamentals: Tough trees, shrubs, and vines with hard stems and bark. They stay structurally intact to give your yard shape all year long (technically still categorized as a perennial)
Herbaceous: Soft, green stemmed plants. They might die back to the ground in a winter freeze, but they bounce right back from the roots in the spring (technically still categorized as a perennial)
*all information pulled from UF/IFAS
