Tender

Applied to plants unable to withstand temperatures of less than 0°C. This rule is  not absolute. Some ‘tender’ plants do in fact withstand a little frost. -5° is more damaging than -1°. Other factors which determine tenderness are: the degree to which plants became woody in the autumn; water content; air humidity; duration of the cold.

Hardy

Plants which are not tender. However, all plants have a threshold of temperature below which they will be damaged. Roots suffer more damage than woody stems in cold weather, hence plants in pots are more vulnerable.

Perennial

A plant which can live more than 2 years and has no genuinely woody parts.

 

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