Plant I’d return to students (4)
I believe the answer is:
dill
'plant' is the definition.
(dill is a kind of plant)
'i'd return to students' is the wordplay.
'return' shows that the letters should be reversed in order.
'to students' becomes 'll' (two abbreviations for learner).
'id' reversed gives 'di'.
'di'+'ll'='DILL'
(Other definitions for dill that I've seen before include "Herb with feathery leaves and spicy seeds" , "Herb with thread-like foliage used as seasoning" , "Herb used in cooking" , "Plant of the celery family; leaf is a herb, seeds a spice" , "Herb used in pickles" .)