Cryptic crossword clue
Strains on exterior of cherry trees 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word CYPRESSES

I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
C
Y
P
R
E
S
S
E
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "trees" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case trees = cypresses.
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 CYPRESSES mean?

CYPRESSES noun
  1. An evergreen coniferous tree with flattened shoots bearing small scale-like leaves, whose dark foliage is sometimes associated with mourning, in family Cupressaceae, especially the genera Cupressus and Chamaecyparis.

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