Classification of Plants Based on Life Cycle

Crops are commonly grouped into annuals, biennials and perennials according to their life cycles. The life cycle of a crop is the period from the planting of the seed to the maturity of the crop. This classification assists the farmer in using his land to meet his goals and is usually associated with flowering plants, a group to which most crop plants belong.

1. Annual Crops:

Annual crops are plants that complete their life cycle within one year or one growing season e.g. maize, rice, cowpea, millet, yam, jute, sunflower, cotton, flax and melon.

2. Biennial Crops:

Biennial crops are plants which complete their life cycle between two years e.g. pineapple, banana, plantain, cassava, pepper, onions, carrot, ginger etc. It produces vegetative parts in the first year, manufactures food and produces fruits in the second year.

2. Perennial Crops:

Perennial crops also known as perennials are plants that complete their life cycle in many years, usually more than two years. e.g. orange, mango, iroko, banana, coconut, oil palm, rubber and mahogany.