understory

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.

Without frequent fire to clear out the understory of a forest, California woodlands have grown five to six times denser.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

For decades, tropical ornithologists believed narrow temperature tolerances may have been to blame for the declines of understory birds, but this study suggests otherwise.

From Science Daily • Mar. 14, 2024

You can use these in mixed plantings under your conifers or group a bunch together to form a hedge or thick understory.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 9, 2023

Coffee is an understory plant: It grows best under a canopy of shade-providing trees.

From Salon • Oct. 23, 2023

They were close enough to the island now to see it was teeming with plant life: trees twice the size of the ship and an understory of bushes and tall grass.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee