A quiet sort of tree? (3)

I believe the answer is:

ash

'sort of tree?' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'a quiet' is the wordplay.
'quiet' becomes 'sh' (**).
'a'+'sh'='ASH'

(Other definitions for ash that I've seen before include "Burnt material; tree" , "Silvery grey" , "In fireplace it may be" , "Fire's remains" , "Hardwood" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.

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