Most easily broken trees tend to break (9)

I believe the answer is:

tenderest

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'most easily broken trees tend to break' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this defines the answer.

'trees tend to break' is the wordplay.
'to break' is an anagram indicator.
'trees'+'tend'='treestend'
'treestend' anagrammed gives 'TENDEREST'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for tenderest that I've seen before include "most sore" , "Most gentle" , "least macho?" , "Most compassionate" , "Most sympathetic" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.