What term describes plants that sprout from seeds in the spring, mature, and reproduce before dying in the winter?

The term that describes plants that sprout from seeds in the spring, mature, and reproduce before dying in the winter is summer annuals. These plants complete their entire life cycle within a single growing season during the warmer months, typically germinating in spring, growing rapidly, flowering, and then setting seed before the onset of cold weather.

In contrast, perennials are plants that live for more than two years, often regrowing each spring and producing flowers and seeds multiple times over several years. Biennials require two years to complete their life cycle, usually producing vegetative growth in the first year and flowering in the second. Winter annuals germinate in the fall, grow during the cooler months, and complete their life cycle in the spring, which makes them distinct from summer annuals.