### Clue: Degraded silt that chokes the plant (7)
### Answer: THISTLE 
 ### Explanation: Definition: plant

***(silt)** [anag:*degraded*] *that chokes* **THE**
 

 
*I was originally unsure of "chokes" as an insertion indicator, but if you think of someone choking on a morsel of food, I suppose it works.