The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word ALOE
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
A
L
O
E
More clues leading to the result ALOE
- Plant where solitary workman at last relieved
- Anonymous solitary plant
- Plant from Austria bloomed regularly
- Plant nothing in drink
- Plant on its own, name missing
- Solitary workman ultimately abandoned plant
- Last drop of rain falling from isolated succulent
- Love bottled pub drink – it’s bitter
- Plant gangster next to L regularly
- 8 Plant used first of all in astringent lotions or embrocations
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "plant" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case plant = aloe.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does ALOE mean?
ALOE noun- (in the plural) The resins of the tree Aquilaria malaccensis (syn. Aquilaria agallocha), known for their fragrant aroma, produced after infection by the fungus Phialophora parasitica.
- A plant of the genus Aloe.
- A strong, bitter drink made from the juice of such plants, used as a purgative.