The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word OLEANDER
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
O
L
E
A
N
D
E
R
More clues leading to the result OLEANDER
- Shrub with red or white flowers — unusually red alone
- European river engulfing slender shrub
- Flower in Germany choking slender shrub
- Continental river accommodating slender shrub
- Old bank maybe planted with a shrub
- Plant described by Actinobole and Ericaceae
- Variation of an older English flowering plant
- Plant inside arsehole — and erection!
- Lover with nothing on makes a bloomer
- 17 Shrub no dealer can provide
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "flowering plant" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case flowering plant = oleander.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 OLEANDER mean?
OLEANDER noun- Nerium oleander, a notoriously poisonous shrub in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae, but nonetheless widely grown as an ornamental, having leathery lance-shaped leaves and deep rose-colored or white flowers.