die back
When a plant's top parts die in winter but the roots stay alive underground so it can grow again.
Meanings
Of a plant: to have the above-ground parts die at the end of the growing season while the root system survives.
"Don't pull out the hostas — they die back every winter and come up again in spring."
Of a plant or tree: to have stems or branches die progressively from the tip inward, often due to disease or frost damage.
"The rose bushes started dying back from the tips after the late frost."
Almost exclusively used in horticulture and botany. Refers to the normal seasonal process in herbaceous perennials. Also used occasionally for any organism retreating or shrinking back. The related noun 'dieback' describes disease-related plant death.
Commonly used with
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