Farm & Garden Flora

An annual flower is a plant that completes its entire life cycle—from seed to growth, to flowering, and to producing new seeds—in a single growing season. Unlike perennials, they do not return the following year, so they must be replanted each season. This short lifespan provides gardeners with a versatile and inexpensive way to add color to their garden every year.  

A fruit is a mature, ripened ovary of a flowering plant that encloses the seed or seeds. Botanically, this includes items like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, which develop from the plant's flower and contain seeds. In common culinary terms, "fruit" typically refers to sweet, fleshy products like apples, berries, and citrus, while "vegetable" is used for other savory or mild-tasting plant parts, such as roots, stems, and leaves. 

A grain is the edible seed of a grass plant, such as wheat, rice, or corn. Grains are a staple food for a large portion of the world and are a significant source of energy, vitamins, and minerals. The term "grain" can also refer to a small particle, such as a grain of sand, or a unit of weight. 

A herb is a plant valued for its flavor, fragrance, medicinal qualities, or other uses. Botanically, it can refer specifically to a non-woody plant that dies down to the ground after each growing season; however, the term is often used more broadly to include plants like shrubs, trees, and annuals that are valued for their properties. Herbs are typically the leaves of a plant and are distinct from spices, which come from other parts of the plant, such as seeds, roots, or bark.  

A vegetable is a plant part—like a root, stem, or leaf—that is eaten as food, whereas a botanical fruit develops from a flower and contains seeds. In a culinary sense, however, "vegetable" often refers to any plant used in a savory dish, regardless of its botanical classification, making the definition depend on whether you are speaking scientifically or as part of a meal.