Overwinters

Overwinters is the third-person singular present form of the verb overwinter, meaning to survive or endure the winter season, typically by entering a dormant state, migrating, or otherwise limiting physiological activity. In biology, overwintering describes strategies used by plants and animals to survive cold conditions and reduced resources. In plants, overwintering often involves dormancy, cold acclimation, and the storage of energy reserves. Perennial plants may form winter buds, thickened stems, bulbs, or tubers that resist freezing, while seeds may become winter-hardy or lie dormant until favorable temperatures return. Some species adjust osmotically, accumulating solutes such as sugars and proline to lower cellular freezing points. In temperate climates, successful overwintering depends on protection from desiccation and lethal ice, either through natural leaf loss or protective coverings.

In animals, overwintering strategies include migration to milder climates, hibernation or torpor to reduce metabolic rate, and diapause in insects to suspend development until conditions improve. Examples include monarch butterflies overwintering in roosts in Mexico, small mammals entering extended periods of reduced activity, and birds storing fat and sheltering in protected habitats. Humans influence overwintering through agricultural practices and horticulture: selecting hardy varieties, providing mulch, shelter, or controlled environments to prevent frost damage.

The term is often used in ecological and agricultural contexts to describe how organisms persist across winter, and to contrast with strategies that avoid winter entirely or rely on annual life cycles.