Perennials

Herbaceous Plants: Characteristics and Importance

Definition and Key Characteristics

Herbaceous plants are characterized by their soft and flexible green stems, which contain little to no woody material. These plants typically die back to the ground in the fall, but their underground plant parts, such as fleshy roots, tubers, rhizomes, bulbs, or corms, survive the winter and store food reserves.

Types of Herbaceous Plants

Herbaceous plants can be classified into three main types:

• Annuals: Non-woody plants that complete their life cycle, from germination to seed production and death, within a single growing season.

• Biennials: Non-woody plants that complete their life cycle over two growing seasons. In the first year, they produce vegetative growth, and in the second year, they flower and produce seeds before dying.

• Perennials: Non-woody plants that live for more than two years, often indefinitely. They typically feature flowers and have either woody or non-woody stems. Some herbaceous plants, such as peonies and banana plants, are considered perennials.

Function and Importance

Herbaceous plants play a vital role in ecosystems by:

• Providing food and shelter for wildlife
• Supporting pollinators
• Improving water quality
• Adding visual interest to landscapes with their flowers and foliage

Common Herbaceous Flowers for Landscaping

Many herbaceous plants are popular choices for landscaping due to their attractive flowers and ease of care. Some common examples include:

• Common sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)
• Daylily (Hemerocallis)
• Starflower (Lysimachia latifolia)
• Hosta (Hosta spp.)
• Catmint (Nepeta)
• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
• Peony (Paeonia officinalis)
• Beebalm (Monarda spp.)
• Coral bells (Heuchera spp.)
• Astilbe (Astilbe spp.)
• Russian sage (Salvia yangii)
• Acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii)
• Geranium (Pelargonium spp.)
• Blanket flower (Gaillardia x Grandiflora)
• Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.)

Sub-Classes of Herbaceous Perennials

Herbaceous perennials can be further classified into sub-classes based on how they store nutrients underground during the winter:

• Bulbs: Underground structures that store nutrients, such as in daffodil flowers (Narcissus).
• Tubers: Swollen underground stems that store nutrients, such as in dahlia flowers.
• Corms: Swollen underground stems with a papery outer covering, such as in the snake lily (Amorphophallus konjac).
• Rhizomes: Underground stems that grow horizontally and store nutrients, such as in the Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum).

Other smaller sub-categories of herbaceous plants without flowers include ferns, grasses, sedges, rushes, mosses, and even some carnivorous plants.

Herbaceous Plant Care in Northern Climates

Herbaceous perennials may die back to ground level in the fall, but they often return the next year. Some plants’ above-ground growth remains attractive, despite being dead. If the plants are healthy, you can refrain from cutting them down until spring. Leaving the above-ground vegetation may even provide insulation to help the plant survive winter.

Examples of herbaceous perennials that can be left standing in the winter include:

• Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium)
• Coneflowers (Echinacea)
• Maiden grass (Miscanthus)

To supplement herbaceous plants in your winter landscape design, consider adding evergreen trees and shrubs, which offer more winter interest.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does herbaceous mean in landscaping?

Herbaceous plants are non-woody plants that die back in the fall but typically return the next year. They add visual interest and sustain themselves during the winter using their underground food storage systems.

What are the characteristics of an herbaceous plant?

Herbaceous plants have soft and green stems that usually die down to the ground every year.

What is the difference between a perennial and a herbaceous plant?

A perennial plant continues to grow for more than two years, while a herbaceous plant has non-woody stems. Some herbaceous plants can be perennials. Essentially, herbaceous refers to the plant’s stem structure, while perennial refers to its lifespan.