There's so much to learn when starting your native plant journey and all of the terminology around plants can be overwhelming. You've got natives of course, but then there's cultivars, varieties or nativars and invasive species, just to name a few.

Many popular garden perennials fall into the "short-lived" category, so you might be wondering whether or not you should waste time and money planting them, when you are not sure how long they'll last.

If you are a gardener or a plant geek, you've seen the categories of plants often referred to as either annuals or perennials. But what do these terms really mean? And how do these different kinds of species inform us how to use them in a landscape design?