Evergreen vs Perennial: What’s the Difference?

The difference at a glance

Evergreen refers to leaves staying green year-round. Perennial refers to a plant living for more than two years, regardless of its foliage cycle.

What does Evergreen mean?

adjective / noun · /ˈɛv.ə.ɡriːn/

Retaining green leaves throughout the year; not shedding leaves seasonally. Also: having an enduring freshness, success, or relevance. An evergreen song, an evergreen idea — one that does not age or become irrelevant.

Evergreen in a sentence

The pine stood evergreen through January's worst storms — still dark green against the grey sky.

Some books are evergreen — you return to them at different ages and they have different things to say.

What does Perennial mean?

adjective / noun · /pəˈrɛn.i.əl/

Lasting for an indefinitely long time; enduring. In botany: a plant that lives for more than two years, returning season after season. A perennial question, a perennial problem — one that never truly goes away but returns as each generation faces it anew.

Perennial in a sentence

The perennial question of what makes a life well-lived has no final answer.

She planted perennials in the garden so something would return without her intervention.

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