The numerous flowering genes that have been identified in different plants play a crucial role in determining whether a plant is annual or perennial. However, the evolutionary mechanism by which these flowering genes drive the transition between annual and perennial life history strategies in Brassicaceae plants remains poorly understood. A recent study focused on natural variations in different genera of Brassicaceae. They identified three closely related MADS-box transcription factor genes, namely FLC, FLM, and MAF, and elucidated their molecular mechanisms associated with the transition between annual and perennial behavior. Their findings suggest that the life-history strategy in Brassicaceae plants (i.e., the conversion between perennial, biennial, and annual behavior) is a continuum determined by the dosage of FLC-like MADS-box genes. The study elucidates the evolutionary mechanisms and trajectories underlying the reciprocal conversion of life history strategies from annual to perennial in Brassicaceae, providing a theoretical foundation for breeding perennial rapeseed varieties and offering insights for Brassicaceae crops improved towards perennial grain.