Trees held out, protected from the elements (9)
I believe the answer is:
sheltered
'protected from the elements' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.
'trees held out' is the wordplay.
'out' indicates anagramming the letters (out can mean wrong or inaccurate).
'trees'+'held'='treesheld'
'treesheld' anagrammed gives 'SHELTERED'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for sheltered that I've seen before include "Safely tucked away" , "Out of the wind" , "Secluded" , "Took cover; protected" , "Hidden" .)