The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ANEMONES
A
N
E
M
O
N
E
S
Buddy explains!

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 ANEMONES mean?
ANEMONES noun- Any plant of the genus Anemone, of the Ranunculaceae (or buttercup) family, such as the windflower.
- A sea anemone.