Perennials are plants that have a life span of more than two years. However, when it comes to gardening, perennial generally means a flowering plant that blooms during the growing seasons and then either goes quiescent or dies. The following season, it starts to grow again. Most perennials require two or more years to cycle from seed to flowering. Perennials have a great diversity in size, shape, color, growth rate, and even texture Types of Perennials There are two general types of perennials; herbaceous and woody perennials. With Herbaceous perennials, the stem dies to the soil each year after flowering. Some of the more common herbaceous perennials include the Canna, Heliconia, etc. Woody perennials do not die down but persist to subsist from season to season and their growth rate fluctuates both in size and shape. Most experts recommend a combination of perennials for the landscape, because different perennials bloom during different seasons and can make the landscape very beautiful. So before you start buying your perennials, know what you want, the types of perennial, and what colors you prefer.