perennating

Perennating is the biological habit of surviving from one growing season to the next by maintaining persistent storage organs that regenerate shoots after a dormant or unfavorable period. It is a defining feature of many perennial plants and some biennials, enabling persistence through cold winters, dry periods, or other stresses.

Common perennating structures include bulbs, corms, rhizomes, tubers, and crowns. These organs store carbohydrates and other nutrients and protect meristematic tissue, allowing a plant to re-emerge when conditions improve. Examples include bulbs in tulips and onions; corms in gladiolus; rhizomes in iris and many grasses; tubers in potatoes; and crowns in daffodils and peonies.

In herbaceous perennials, the above-ground shoots may die back after the growing season, with new growth emerging from the perennating organ the next year. In woody perennials, perennating tissue can persist at the soil surface or underground as buds on roots or at the crown, enabling renewed growth after dormancy.

Ecologically, perennation allows plants to withstand seasonal stresses and resource fluctuations and is a key factor in horticulture and agriculture, influencing propagation strategies and crop lifecycles. The terms perennate and perennation describe the process, while perennating structures refer to the organs that support it.