Put gum residue around plants (7)
I believe the answer is:
legumes
'plants' is the definition.
(legume is a kind of plant)
'put gum residue' is the wordplay.
'put' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'residue' becomes 'lees' (I've seen this in another clue).
'gum' placed inside 'lees' is 'LEGUMES'.
'around' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for legumes that I've seen before include "Peas, beans, and lentils" , "Pulse" , "Plants that bear their seeds in pods" .)