Hero's lover hiding in very large shrubs (9)
I believe the answer is:
oleanders
'shrubs' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both plants as well as being plural nouns.
Perhaps you can see a link between them that I don't see?
'hero's lover hiding in very large' is the wordplay.
'hero's lover' becomes 'leander' (as in Hero and Leander in Greek myth).
'hiding in' indicates putting letters inside.
'very large' becomes 'os' (abbreviation for oversize).
'leander' inserted inside 'os' is 'OLEANDERS'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for oleanders that I've seen before include "Evergreen shrubs" , "See Arnold about these flowering shrubs" .)