This means that they will not die at the end of one growing season, but continue to grow for many years. Trees are good examples of perennial plants that live in a forest. Grasses are one of the most common perennial plants that grow in a prairie. Grasses are very distinctive plants. Grasses have flowers, but their flowers do not have petals like most plants.
Grasses use the wind to pollinate their flowers.
No bees or other insects are needed. The other flowering plants in a prairie are called forbs. Forbs have showy petals that help the plant to attract insects for pollination. Many prairie forbs, like prairie dock, compass plant, hairy sunflower, tall sunflower, goldenrod and others, are members of the sunflower family. Beginning in mid-summer, forbs add a beautiful splash of color to the prairie.