understory

noun

un·der·sto·ry ˈən-dər-ˌstȯr-ē

: an underlying layer of vegetation

specifically : the vegetative layer and especially the trees and shrubs between the forest canopy and the ground cover

: the plants that form the understory

Examples of understory in a Sentence

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Its dusty rose plaster walls are a perfect foil for the graphic shadows of the trees, including Mexican fan palms, which sway above an understory of cacti and lush banana trees. —

Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Dec. 2024 Many popular tropical houseplants hail from the understory of their native forest homes. —

Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Dec. 2024 Increasingly popular nut tree orchards don’t provide a vegetative understory. —

Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 30 Nov. 2024 The understory of the ponderosa and sugar pine forest was speckled with manzanita, oak trees and dogwoods with yellow leaves, marking the start of fall. —

Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for understory