What is a Dormancy in Plants?
July 29, 2018
The dormancy mechanism helps protect plants during adverse and extreme environmental conditions in winter and summer seasons. While dormant, plants drop their leaves and the growth process slows significantly or stops. After warming temperatures break dormancy, plants continue their flowering process.
Some hydrangeas bloom on old wood, holding dormant flower buds through winter; other types bloom continuously on new growth.
PC: Leslie F. Halleck
Florist hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) are an example of a plant that sets microscopic flower buds in summer, or when it finishes its spring–summer flowering cycle; these buds sit undeveloped until after plants experience a dormancy period in winter.
