Some prefer northern plant (4)
I believe the answer is:
fern
'plant' is the definition.
(fern is a kind of plant)
'some prefer northern' is the wordplay.
'some' indicates a hidden word (some of the parts of the word are used).
'FERN' is hidden in the letters of 'prefer northern'.
(Other definitions for fern that I've seen before include "Tracheophyte plant" , "Plant with featherlike leaves" , "Feathery frondy plant" , "A frond is its leaf" , "Flowerless plant with feathery green leaves, common on mountains" .)