Do You Have Biennials?

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​In between annuals and perennials are the biennials; forgotten and misunderstood.  Sometimes we don’t realize these are in our gardens.  I bought Sweet William as an annual and was surprised when it showed up the next spring and every year since.  Black-eyed Susan is usually thought of as a perennial.  Parsley and onions are grown as annuals.  These are all biennials.  It’s no wonder that there is confusion.   If you would ask me about growing biennials, I would be hard-pressed to give a general description other than that they live two years.   

​Joe Eck and Wayne Winterrowd describe the problem in their book, Our Life in Gardens.  “Most biennials require twice the effort asked by any annual plant, but they are no more permanent as additions to the garden… Few biennials will flower over so long a period [as annuals], and then they will die ungracefully…”
 
There is more than just a two year life to define a biennial.  The first year they grow from seed and the second year they bloom, set seeds and die.  If conditions are just right they might flower the first year and maybe even a third year.  I can understand why there is confusion.  
 
I planted Lupine seed in my wild flower patch knowing they were biennial; same is true for the Hollyhock that I have tried unsuccessfully to get started next to my garden shed.  I didn’t realize others were biennial such as the onions and parsley that I left in the garden over the winter and the next year they bloomed.  I have learned these lessons because my messiness of cottage gardening is the perfect place to grow biennials.  It allows the first year growth to be unnoticed and the second year reseeding to proceed and perpetuate the stand of plants.  Here are seven that can be used in the garden.  
 
Lupine (Lupinus perennis) grows from seed the first year, the second year a tall flower stalk of purple, pink, burgundy or white flowers emerge in late spring.  Letting these flowers remain allows the plant to produce seed pods.  Once the pods dry they twist and release the seed.  My Lupines are gradually moving east in the patch as they reseed where the prevailing winds send them.  I put a brown sack around some of the seed heads as they dry so I can collect and send them home with friends.  If you want a more cultivated garden this is not a plant for you.  By the way, the Karner Blue Butterfly relies on the Wild Lupine as its only food source. 
 
Hollyhock (Alcea) is an old fashioned cottage garden staple.  Wikipedia describes them as “Hollyhocks are annual, biennial, or perennial plants usually taking an erect, unbranched form.”   Did I say this is confusing?  Anyway, this plant always reminds me of my Grandma making Hollyhock dolls from the flowers.  There are about 60 species of this plant, so pay attention to the form to get the one you want. 
 
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) is also described as a biennial or short-lived perennial because if conditions are perfect it can bloom the first and second year.   I get questions from friends about why their Black-eyed Susans have died out and the common cause is that the patch has been cleaned of seed heads not allowing it to reseed.  Lesson:  be messy. 
 
Onions (Allium cepa L.) were a surprise to me as a biennial even though I have grown onions from seed and left them overwinter, see them again in the spring, and watch them flower the next year.  I didn’t catch onto what they were doing.  
 
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is one that I knew was a biennial.  It’s normally grown only as an annual because the second year it becomes bitter after it flowers.  But I leave it in the garden to provide for me the first year and the second year’s flower is for the pollinators.
 
Carrots (Daucus carota) are also a biennial.  I just learned from a magazine article that last year’s roots can be planted the second year to create a beautiful flower.  Several gardeners have since told me they do this and confirmed that the delicate flower is much like Queen Anne’s Lace.  So if you have some old roots they can be put to good ornamental use.
 
Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) is one that I thought was an annual.  It explains why the one patch that I cleaned up didn’t reappear and the one left to seed is doing fine.  There are many different species of Dianthus, not all are biennial.  So gardeners need to pay attention to which one they are buying.  An added bonus, Sweet William flowers are edible with a peppery flavor.