| PERENNIAL | Plant living year after year such as the Christmas rose, amaryllis, winter jasmine, cyclamen or snowdrop (9) |
| TUBER | In botany, the genus of truffles; the thickened subterranean stem of the Jerusalem artichoke, potato or yam; or, the rootstock of the cyclamen or the dahlia (5) |
| WINE | Press release perhaps for winter jasmine from the borders (4) |
| EVERGREEN | Tree/plant bearing foliage all year such as the juniper, holm oak, holly, bay, Italian cypress, olive or pine (9) |
| HELLEBORE | Winter-flowering plant, such as the Christmas rose (9) |
| HELLEBORES | Perennial herbs of the lily family, such as the "Christmas rose" (10) |
| MIKE | ___ + The Mechanics' "The Living Years" |
| SUBSEQUENTLY | Consequently, replacement sequence drops Clare introducing The Living Years (12) |
| MECHANICS | Living Years band, Mike And The - - - (9) |
| SHRUB | Mixed drink of lemon, spices, sugar and rum that shares its name with a bushy type of plant such as the Christmas box; or, a fruit cordial or syrup of raspberry or other fruit with added vinegar, for |
| EVERGREENS | Plants or trees in leaf throughout the year, such as Scots pines, Norway spruces, holly, mistletoe, ivy or heather (10) |
| BRACT | From the Latin meaning "thin plate of metal, gold-leaf", a modified often-colourful leaf such as that of the red or white poinsettia or "Christmas rose" (5) |
| IRIS | Bloom such as the "Christmas carol", Florentine or orris varieties (4) |
| AQUATIC | From the Latin for "water", word for a hydrophyte such as duckweed, frogbit, hornwort, marsh marigold, water soldier, yellow flag iris or any other example of a plant living in or near a pond, river, |
| ANNUALS | Plants living for a year or less; or, books such as almanacs (7) |
| BLOSSOM | Flower(s) of a plant such as the hyacinth, paperwhite narcissus, amaryllis, crocus or cyclamen (7) |
| ALMANAC | Annual type of seasonal guide listing events for the forthcoming year such as farmers' planting dates, astronomical data, tide tables etc (7) |
| CECIL | (GKN) Poet father of actor Daniel Day-Lewis, whose works include 1962's The Christmas Rose (5) |
| TERMS | Divisions of academic years, such as Oxford University's Hilary in spring, Trinity in summer and Michaelmas in autumn (5) |
| NIGER | The Christmas rose (10,5) |
