Where herbaceous plants disappear for the winter: the features of adaptation to the conditions of existence

Where do grassy plants disappear for the winter? And how do they appear again after the chilly autumn and frosty winter? This riddle of nature we will reveal in our article.

Where herbaceous plants disappear for the winter

Winter is not the best period for the development of plant organisms. After all, for normal life they need water in a liquid state, a certain temperature of the air and a sufficient amount of solar energy. As plants are prepared for winter, one can consider the example of herbaceous and perennial representatives of this realm of wildlife. So, irises, which are one of the most popular and undemanding ornaments of landscapes, have a thickened underground stem - rhizome. When the cold comes, the visible part of this plant dies. And in the thickened rhizome accumulates water with nutrients necessary to survive in an unfavorable period. With the onset of spring, young leaves and flowers grow again from young buds.

Annuals

What happens to plants in the winter, which are annuals? They are dying and escape, and the root system. They do not grow in the spring. For example, all well-known black-hens in March-April will have to be sown again. Only in this case they will grow again. The thing is that the herbaceous annuals do not have any adaptations to the cold. Much easier in this respect trees and shrubs. For the winter, they just drop the foliage to reduce the intensity of the evaporation process. But gymnosperms, as they say, in winter and summer in one color. In winter, the stomata of their leaves are clogged with resin, which automatically stops transpiration. Therefore, spruce and pine trees delight us all winter with their lush green cover.

Perennial plants

Where the herbaceous plants that are annual disappear for winter, we sorted it out. They simply cease to exist. But two- and perennial have a number of adaptations. Beets, carrots and radishes have root crops. In the first year, such plants do not give seeds. They have a thicker root root. It accumulates substances, due to which plants will live in winter. But next summer biennial plants will give seeds that can be used for their reproduction. Similarly, the process of experiencing adverse conditions occurs in primrose. They have underground modifications of shoots, which are called bulbs. Tulips, crocuses and primroses bloom just a few weeks in the early spring. The rest of the life cycle they spend underground.

So, we figured out where herbaceous plants disappear for the winter. Their annual representatives die completely. Before that, they leave the seeds with which to spread. Two- and perennial grasses undergo an unfavorable period under the ground. Due to the supply of nutrients and water, they carry out all the necessary processes of vital activity. With the onset of heat, their growth and development are renewed. And we can again enjoy the bright colors of herbaceous plants.