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

The bees’ emergence in April aligns perfectly with apple blossoms and other flowering plants, giving them immediate access to food sources. —Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2026

Either way, these early flowering plants explode with gorgeous color in spring and attract early season bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. —Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 22 Apr. 2026

Fusarium and Verticillium wilts are common in vegetable and flowering plants and often appear during dry conditions. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2026

More than 80 native plant species will be available, including woodland flowering plants and ferns; dry, medium, and wet prairie flowering plants; as well as grasses, shrubs, trees, native grasses, woodlands and ferns. —Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1725, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for flowering plant

• ant
• aunt
• cant
• chant
• gant
• lant
• pant
• quant
• rant
• sant
• scant
• slant

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