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

Pollinators are essential for the reproduction of more than 75% of the world’s flowering plants and nearly 35% of global food crops.1 To help these hard workers out, eco-conscious gardeners are turning to simple, effective solutions, like pollinator pots and bowls. —Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 June 2025

Having a variety of flowering plants that produce nectar at different times of the year supports monarchs throughout the seasons. —Calista Oetama, Sacbee.com, 21 June 2025

From the fossils, the research team identified conifer foliage, seed fern, and angiosperm leaves — flowering plants. —Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 9 June 2025

About 90% of wild flowering plants and 75% of food crops around the world depend on pollination to produce fruits and seeds, according to the National Park Service. —Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 2 June 2025

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