Crossword Genius

Hailed badly, upending a shrub (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

camellia

'shrub' is the definition.
(camellia is a kind of shrub)

'hailed badly upending a' is the wordplay.
'hailed' becomes 'came' (I've seen this in another clue).
'badly' becomes 'ill' ('ill' can be adverbial as in 'ill-advised').
'upending' is a reversal indicator.
'ill' written backwards gives 'lli'.
'came'+'lli'+'a'='CAMELLIA'

(Other definitions for camellia that I've seen before include "Email Cal about the flowering shrub" , "Shrub with showy flowers" , "Flowering plant related to tea" , "Flowering shrub for Mal and Celia, oddly" , "Shrub related to tea plant" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times and The Sunday Times.
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