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

This can lead to bigger, more colorful blooms on flowering plants and stronger foliage and production on plants, including vegetables. — Heather Bien, The Spruce, 22 Aug. 2026

Like many flowering plants, Cassiope needs help moving pollen — the male reproductive cells — to the female parts of another flower. — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026

For example, eelgrass and other seagrasses are flowering plants that evolved from land-dwelling ancestors and later adapted to life underwater. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026

The new museum complex in the Brumadinho region will also feature some 15,000 trees and a million shrubs, cacti, and flowering plants in a design inspired by Paz’s relationship with 20th-century landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 10 Aug. 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