Crossword Genius

Timber-producing plan by the French (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

maple

'timber' is the definition.
(maple is a type of timber)

'plan by the french' is the wordplay.
'plan' becomes 'map' (plan can mean a map of something).
'by' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'the french' becomes 'le' ('the' in French).
'map'+'le'='MAPLE'

'producing' is the link.

(Other definitions for maple that I've seen before include "Its leaf is the emblem of 8 down" , "Leaves on this" , "Tree providing syrup" , "Tree: its leaf the Canadian emblem" , "Tree of Acer genus" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.
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.