| One reason why the perennial plant is sought | | | | rate. The longevity of the perennial plant is |
| after is because of its remarkable ability to | | | | definitely an exciting curiosity for many people. |
| survive year round through most weather | | | | Interestingly enough, the perennial plant is able to |
| conditions. Not unlike your local mail delivery | | | | thrive year after year due to a few survival |
| person, perennials lives on through rain, sleet, or | | | | tricks it has up it's sleeve. Take trees and shrubs |
| snow - perfect for the year round gardener. | | | | for example. These drop their leaves and protect |
| What is it about perennials that enables it's winter | | | | their next year's growth with waxy scales. |
| survival abilities, whereas other plants will shrivel | | | | Examine the bud of a perennial plant and you'll see |
| up and die as soon as the going get tough? Why | | | | that it covered with a sticky looking waterproof |
| can't scientists engineer annuals or biennials to last | | | | wax.. When the bud begins to bloom, it scars as |
| as long the perennial plant? | | | | its scales fall off and the distance between its |
| As with most things in the natural world, not all | | | | scars are an indicator of how many times a year |
| plants are created equal, however some biologists | | | | that perennial plant grows. |
| have succeeded in re-engineering annual and | | | | The perennial plant gears up for the winter by |
| biennial plants to last longer. To do so, they must | | | | draining its own food supply from its leaves down |
| examine the perennial plant and find out what | | | | inside its trunk, branches, and twigs. As the |
| allows it to survive in the same environment that | | | | weather gets colder, the tissues of the perennial |
| causes other to perish. Although stretching the life | | | | plant will slowly change and become cold resistant |
| of a non-perennial would certainly make the plant | | | | in a process called "hardening." During these |
| and floral businesses flourish, marketing isn't the | | | | changes, the chlorophyll of a perennial plant will |
| only reason scientists and many others have this | | | | decompose and lose its propensity to project a |
| question. If we had vast amounts of plants that | | | | green hue - leaving the tree with its trademark |
| have medicinal and life saving properties, we could | | | | red, yellow, orange, and brown autumn leaves. |
| study their curing capabilities at an exponential | | | | |