The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word MACHINERY
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
M
A
C
H
I
N
E
R
Y
More clues leading to the result MACHINERY
- Plant woman found around ridge of land
- Plant provided by gardening girl to cover ridged structure
- System ECHR delivered cryptically in thirty-one days
- Heavy equipment moving very quickly on North Eastern railway
- Woman trapping part of back in apparatus
- Plant herb, not rose, around ravine
- Can I rhyme “errant” and “plant”?
- Tudor monarch keeping church in English system
- Contrary rhymster holds joint hardware
- Right inside a chimney, uprooted plant
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 = machinery.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 MACHINERY mean?
MACHINERY noun- The machines constituting a production apparatus, in a plant etc., collectively.
- The working parts of a machine as a group.
- The collective parts of something which allow it to function.
- The literary devices used in a work, notably for dramatic effect