'tree-plant' is a Modern English compound formed from the words 'tree' and 'plant'; 'tree' comes from Old English 'trēow' and 'plant' comes ultimately from Latin 'planta' via Old French.

'tree-plant' arose by straightforward compounding in Modern English (19th–20th century horticultural and nursery usage) combining 'tree' (Old English 'trēow') and 'plant' (Latin 'planta' > Old French 'plante').

The elements originally meant 'tree' and 'a young shoot/plant'; combined, the compound has been used to denote either a tree regarded as a plant or specifically a young tree for planting (the general sense has remained stable within horticultural contexts).