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
There were self-sown wheat25-3 fields and vines growing there.
From The Northmen, Columbus and Cabot, 985-1503 by Olson, Julius E.
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.
