'plant-wise' originates from the combination of 'plant' and the suffix '-wise', where 'plant' refers to a living organism that typically grows in a permanent site, absorbing water and inorganic substances through its roots, and 'wise' is a suffix meaning 'in terms of' or 'with respect to'.

'plant-wise' evolved from the Old English word 'plante' and the suffix '-wise', which was used in Middle English to denote manner or respect.

Initially, it meant 'in the manner of plants', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'in terms of plants'.