When winter comes and the weather gets bad, plants tend to either die or go dormant (dormant means alive but not actively growing). The ones that die are plants called annuals. Annuals are the kind of flowers you see in hanging baskets, pots, and in small flower gardens. A few examples are petunias, zinnias, and marigolds. The plants that go dormant in the wintertime are deciduous trees and perennials. Maple trees, oak trees, and weeping willows are all deciduous trees. Daylilies, daisies, cone flowers, balloon flowers, black-eyed susans, forsythias, butterfly bushes, roses, and coreopsis are all perennials.
Why do plants go dormant?
Plants like deciduous trees and perennials go dormant because the weather gets too cold. When in dormancy, the plant protects itself from the harsh climate. During this period of time, the plant will not start any new growth. If it did, the plant would become damaged by having its new growth getting killed instantly.
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