flowering plant

noun

plural flowering plants

: any of a class (Angiospermae) of vascular plants that have male and female reproductive structures enclosed in a flower, that have seeds which arise from ovules contained in the ovaries, and that produce dry or fleshy fruits after double fertilization : angiosperm

The butterflies feed off the nectar of any flowering plant and lay their eggs on what's called a host plant.

—Michael Fitzpatrick

About 75% of all flowering plants rely on animal pollinators and over 200,000 species of animals act as pollinators.

—Steve Smith

Duckweed, the smallest flowering plant, measures less than 5 millimeters across.

—Timothy Cooney et al.

Examples of flowering plant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Clear results emerged: Those who lived in environments with higher levels of biodiversity—trees, shrubs, and flowering plants—had a far greater diversity and abundance of microbes on their skin. —Kathy Willis, WIRED, 21 Dec. 2024

During their migration, monarchs depend on flowering plants and milkweed, often found on private land. —Nathan Rott, NPR, 19 Nov. 2024

There’s something comforting about knowing there’s a company in Southern California providing such a wide selection of seeds for growing food and flowering plants. —Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024

Three nude women share an intimate standing pose against a lush green and blue background homage to Henri Rousseau’s exotic jungle imagery, replete with banana and pineapple flowering plants. —Natasha Gural, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1725, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

flowering plant

noun

: any of a major group of higher plants that produce flowers, fruits, and seeds with the seeds in a closed ovary

called also angiosperm

compare seed plant