What are annuals in the context of plant life cycles?

In the context of plant life cycles, annuals are defined as plants that complete their entire life cycle within a single growing season. This means they germinate from seed, grow, reproduce, and then die all within the span of a year. This life cycle strategy allows annuals to take advantage of favorable growing conditions and produce seeds that can survive to start the process anew in the following season.

The other options describe different categories of plants. Perennials are the plants that live for many years, often going through cycles of growth, dormancy, and regrowth. Plants that grow continuously throughout the year are usually referred to as evergreens or certain tropical plants that aren’t constrained by seasonal changes. Finally, plants that only bloom once every few years can be classified as sporadic bloomers or based on specific reproductive strategies, but they do not fall within the definition of annuals. Thus, the definition of annuals as plants that die after one growing season accurately captures their lifecycle characteristics.