春化现象指一，二年生的植物，经过春化处理（vernalisation，在苗期对其进行低温处理，约3 °C）后，才能从营养生长阶段（即根、茎、叶的发育）过渡到生殖生长阶段（即花、果实和种子的发育）的现象。

对冬小麦试验表明，如果不对种子进行低于3摄氏度的春化处理，就算作物的杆和叶都生长的很好，到了来年的夏天却也不会结穗。甜菜不经过春化处理，甚至不开花。春化处理只能对植物中有分裂能力的细胞起作用。其部位因植物而异，主要为茎的顶端分生组织。

冷冻期与花期可以间隔很长的时间，因此，没有必要赶在春暖花开之前进行春化处理。而且，日照时间，温度和生长状况也是影响花期的因素。

Vernalization (from Latin vernus, "of the spring") is the induction of a plant's flowering process by exposure to the prolonged cold of winter, or by an artificial equivalent. After vernalization, plants have acquired the ability to flower, but they may require additional seasonal cues or weeks of growth before they will actually flower. Vernalization is sometimes used to refer to herbal (non-woody) plants requiring a cold dormancy to produce new shoots and leaves but this usage is discouraged