Herbaceous plants

Invasive herbaceous plants can monopolize the understory of a forest or change the makeup of an open prairie. In doing so they, like all invasive species, can change the soil composition, structure, and degrade water quality.

Herbaceous plants are divided by life cycle because the first step in managing a plant is understanding how it grows. Annual plants germinate, grow, reproduce, and die in one year. Biennial plants go through the same process in two years, often with a dormant phase in the middle. Perennial plants life cycle lasts longer than two years.

There is overlap between the categories, since a plants life cycle can also be dependent on their specific situation. If you can’t find your herbaceous weed in annual, try a different life cycle.