Summer annual weeds emerge and complete their life cycle by when?

• A. Emerge in fall, overwinter as seedlings, then die in early summer.
• B. Emerge in spring or summer, then produce seed and die before winter.
• C. Emerge in winter, overwinter as seedlings, then die in early summer.
• D. Emerge in spring and survive for many years.

Answer: (B)

Summer annual weeds complete their life cycle within one growing season. They emerge in spring or summer, grow, produce seeds, and die before winter, leaving behind seeds to start the next generation. This pattern is different from winter annuals, which germinate in fall or winter and overwinter as seedlings to finish their life cycle in spring or early summer, and from perennials, which persist for multiple years. So emerging in spring or summer and dying before winter after setting seed is the hallmark of summer annuals.