# Plant patent

A patent covering a new, distinct variety of plant that has been asexually reproduced (through cuttings, grafting, or budding — not seeds). Plant patents are rare, with fewer than 1,500 issued per year. Most plant protection in agriculture uses a separate system: the Plant Variety Protection Act, administered by the USDA rather than the USPTO.

**Full entry:** https://patentbrief.org/glossary/plant-patent

**All patent terms:** https://patentbrief.org/glossary

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. A plain-English glossary of US patent terms._