Which plant type completes its life cycle in one growing season?

The correct answer is annual plant. These plants complete their entire life cycle—from germination to flowering to seed production and ultimately death—within a single growing season, which typically spans from spring to summer and into fall. This rapid life cycle allows annuals to take advantage of the optimal growing conditions of their environment, such as temperature and moisture, ensuring they reproduce before unfavorable conditions arise, like frost or drought.

Biennial plants, on the other hand, require two growing seasons to complete their life cycle; they typically grow vegetatively in the first year and then produce flowers and seeds in the second year. Perennial plants live for more than two years, often growing back each spring from their root system after a dormant period in winter. Deciduous plants, a term that refers to trees and shrubs that shed their leaves seasonally, can be either annual or perennial; thus, it does not accurately describe a plant’s life cycle duration.