The perennial clock is an essential timer for seasonal growth events and cold hardiness.

Over the last several decades, changes in global temperatures have led to changes in local environments affecting the growth conditions for many species. This is a trend that makes it even more important to understand how plants respond to local variations and seasonal changes in climate. To detect daily and seasonal changes as well as acute stress factors such as cold and drought, plants rely on a circadian clock. This chapter introduces the current knowledge and literature about the setup and function of the circadian clock in various tree and perennial species, with a focus on the Populus genus.