And some perennials are longer lived than others—like thyme ( Thymus vulgaris), who is a short-lived perennial, while peppermint ( Mentha x piperita), on the other hand, can live forever.
Another question I hear is: “Do I focus on annuals or perennials?” Annuals die back every year and perennials return year after year. Some annuals self-sow, meaning the plant will die but it will first make seeds that germinate the following year to return the medicine to your garden. And some perennials are longer lived than others—like thyme ( Thymus vulgaris), who is a short-lived perennial, while peppermint ( Mentha x piperita), on the other hand, can live forever. The peppermint that’s in my garden is from a patch that I found way up in an old clearing of our cove where a homestead stood in the 1800s!