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The Times Crossword across clue:

A protected species, shrub is cut back by earth mother.(7)

P - O - E - E

First I was thinking EVE could be the earth mother but don't know what the whole word would be...so then I thought of PROTEGE, but...don't see how that works out with the shrub and the earth mother...

PROTE(A) (shrub cut back) + GE (alternative spelling of Gaea / Gaia / Mother Earth)

Brilliant, Big Dave! Don't like the setter's use of the word 'species', eh? A protege is an individual, as I see it.

Perhaps the setter is referring to the fact that the national flower/plant of South Africa (the Protea) is protected by law, i.e. it is a protected species.

On second thoughts,please ignore previous posting.

Thank you, Big Dave. I didn't know there was a protea shrub or GE as a spelling for GAIA.

I also agree that a protege is a person, not a species...well, as far as I know, anyway.

...and to add to your new-found knowledge, Sammy, the South Afican cricket team is known as The Proteas (it being one of that country's national emblems.)

Interesting, Bullfrog. Shows how much I know about cricket!

Another thing I found out is that it took 160 years at Kew waiting for it to flower again (from 1826 to 1986) and now it flowers every year.