Cryptic crossword clue
Shrub becomes coated, so they say 5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word FURZE

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
F
U
R
Z
E

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Shrub" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case shrub = furze.
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 FURZE mean?

FURZE noun
  1. A thorny evergreen shrub, with yellow flowers, Ulex gen. et spp., of which Ulex europaeus is particularly common upon the plains and hills of Great Britain and Ireland.

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