self-sown
Americanadjective
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sown by itself, or without human or animal agency, as of a plant grown from seeds dropped from another plant.
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sown by any agency other than humans, as of a plant grown from seeds scattered by birds or the wind.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of self-sown
First recorded in 1600–10
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A total of 1,245 self-sown Kentish milkwort plants have been recorded at Queendown Warren, near Sittingbourne in Kent – the largest population of the species in the UK.
From BBC ● May 16, 2026
Dug was self-sown but Craig-Brown said that with all his subsequent research into giant potatoes, he’s ready to try and deliberately grow a record-breaking monster next season.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2022
Likewise, self-sown tomato seedlings that pop up in the garden next spring could carry certain pathogens, including Septoria.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 26, 2021
He also wrote, “Many plants in this garden are self-sown and they often provide me with excellent ideas.”
From New York Times ● May 9, 2017
To understand the charm of its rough commons and self-sown woods one must read Kingsley's Prose Idylls, especially the sketch called 'My Winter Garden'.
From Victorian Worthies Sixteen Biographies by Blore, George Henry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
