Plant cover in a mess (8)

I believe the answer is:

veronica

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'plant cover in a mess' is the definition.
'veronica' can be an answer for 'plant' (I've seen this before). I'm unsure of the 'cover in a mess' bit.

'cover in a mess' is the wordplay.
'mess' is an anagram indicator.
'cover'+'in'+'a'='coverina'
'coverina' anagrammed gives 'VERONICA'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for veronica that I've seen before include "Girl" , "Plant with spikes of blue or purple" , "There's a strange vain core to this plant?" , "Plant of the foxglove family in a cover, oddly" , "Blue / purple flowering plant" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.

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