Biennial weeds complete their life cycle in how many growing seasons?

• A. A flowering plant that completes its life cycle in two growing seasons.
• B. A plant that completes its life cycle in one growing season.
• C. A plant that completes its life cycle in three growing seasons.
• D. A plant that reproduces only vegetatively.

Answer: (A)

Biennial weeds complete their life cycle in two growing seasons. In the first season they typically establish vegetative growth—often forming a rosette and storing energy. In the second season they bolt to flowering, produce seeds, and then die. This two-season pattern distinguishes biennials from annuals, which finish in one season, and from perennials, which live for more than two seasons and may reproduce over multiple years. Some plants that reproduce only vegetatively don’t fit the biennial pattern, since they’re describing a mode of reproduction rather than the two-season life cycle. For weed management, recognizing this two-year cycle helps pinpoint the best time to intervene before seed production in the second year.