What distinguishes herbaceous plants from woody plants?

Herbaceous plants are characterized by their soft, green stems that do not develop the woody tissue seen in woody plants. This softness means that herbaceous plants typically have a lifecycle that can be completed within a single growing season, often referred to as annual or biennial depending on their reproductive cycle. Once the growing season ends, the above-ground parts of these plants die back, while their root systems may survive until the next growing season.

In contrast, woody plants develop hard stems that are capable of surviving for multiple years, allowing them to grow larger and often live longer than herbaceous plants. The other choices do not accurately define this key distinction. While some herbaceous plants may flower in patterns that could include multiples of four, that is not a defining characteristic. Furthermore, the depth of roots can vary significantly among both herbaceous and woody plants, as it depends more on the species and soil conditions than on whether the plant is herbaceous or woody. Therefore, the defining feature that distinguishes herbaceous from woody plants is indeed the completion of their life cycle in one growing season.