ShrubsDiscover the right shrubs for your garden.
Kindly ™ privet . Photo : Proven Winners
Do you necessitate a warm solution to create secrecy in your yard ? Privet is popular landscape plant unremarkably used as hedge or screening . These shrubs or small tree have a rapid outgrowth charge per unit , making them utilitarian for quickly block out an unsightly aspect or creating privacy masking . Privet tolerates a range of growing condition , can withstand salt and urban defilement , and ask little maintenance other than unconstipated pruning to keep it under controller .
A member of the Olea europaea family ( Oleaceae ) , there are over 50 species of Ligustrum native to Asia , Europe and Africa . Some coinage such as Formosan privet and Japanese privetcan be highly trespassing in certain regions , particularly the Deep South , so extreme caution should be taken when select and farm privet in your landscape painting . Modern cultivar are breed to be unimaginative and non - invasive , and are a upright choice where privet is a job . Here ’s how to grow and use privet in your grounds .
On this Sir Frederick Handley Page : Basics|Planting|Care|Varieties|Frequently Asked Questions|Landscaping idea
On this varlet :
PRIVET BASICS
Botanical name:
Ligustrum
Common names:
Common name such as waxleaf privet and coarse privet are used interchangeably between some species .
Plant type:
Deciduous , semi - evergreen , or evergreen bush or small tree
Zones:
3 - 10 , look on the mintage
Exposure:
Full Sunday to part spectre
Habit:
Upright bushy use
Height/Spread:
4 to 10 foot marvelous , 4 to 20 foot wide
Bloom time:
bound to summer
Flowers:
Small white bloom with 4 petals occur on conical or on an irregular basis shaped clusters . The blooms are a nectar source for honey bees , butterflies , and other insect pollinators . flush exudate a secure , sugared fragrancy some people bask and others find unpleasant . Additionally , many citizenry are allergic to privet pollen , causing asthma or respiratory distraint .
Berries:
Clusters of little pear-shaped berries follow the flowers . The dark purple or fateful fruit , sometimes called drupes , have a glazed shininess . Berries may persist into wintertime , and are a food source for songbirds . raspberry put up to the invasiveness of some privet coinage by distributing the seed .
Foliage:
calendered oval or betoken leave add up in dissimilar sizes , with green , gold , or variegate coloring . Foliage can be deciduous , semi - evergreen , or evergreen plant . leafage can also cause a rashlike reaction or nettle rash in many masses .
HOW TO PLANT PRIVET
When to plant:
Plant privet bushes during milder month in spring or hang to void stress from extreme hot or cold temperatures .
Where to plant:
Privet will do best in a site that get full sunshine to partial shade . put up well - drained grunge to prevent root rot .
How to plant:
relax soil in the planting area and better with compost or other full-bodied constituent matter , making sure the grease is well draining . Dig a gob twice as all-embracing and slightly shallow than the root ball . Remove the plant from its greenhouse pot and gently loose the roots if they are tightly bound . spot privet plant in the hole so the top of the root ball is slightly above the skirt grunge . occupy in soil around the root ball and gently tamp down to remove air travel pockets . H2O plant well . blank space plants 1 to 2 foot asunder or more , reckon on the potpourri .
PRIVET CARE
Golden Ticket ® privet . Photo : Proven Winners
Soil:
Ligustrumare tolerant of dissimilar soil type as long as there is respectable drain . They do best in amended filth with a pH of 6 to 8 . industrial plant are jolly tolerant of salt , make them a good choice for beachside locations or near roadways that get salted in winter .
Fertilizer:
In early spring , apply a slow - release granular fertilizer especially formulated for tree and shrubs harmonize to parcel instructions .
Watering:
Ligustrumperform considerably with restrained wet and are drouth patient of once established . Provide supplemental H2O during prolong heat and teetotal while as needed and do n’t permit soil to dry out completely . Avoid overwatering to prevent root rot or other diseases .
Pruning:
Ligustrumis fast produce , raise 1 to 2 foot of new increment each yr . Plants are amenable to with child pruning and shearing and need regular pruning to keep them in check , especially if used as schematic hedge or topiaries . When cutting back privet , look until plants have finish efflorescence and thinly prune as needed during the summertime to boost more branching and impenetrable growth .
Pests and diseases:
When grow in the good term , privet is resistant to pest and diseases . Pests includeaphids , foliage miners , mealybugs , mites , scale , thrips , weevils , andwhiteflies . disease includeanthracnose , leaf spot , powdery mold , ascendant bunk , twig blight , and wilt .
Is privet deer resistant?
Privet is considered deer immune , though cervid will graze on almost any plant if they are hungry enough .
Is privet toxic?
Ligustrumleaves and Berry contain glycoside , a compound that can do mild to restrained distress in humans , PET , and livestock if ingested . touch your Doctor of the Church , veterinary , or poisonous substance command if you suspect your children or pets have assimilate this plant .
PRIVET VARIETIES
Photo by : Proven Winners .
KINDLY ™ —Buy now from Proven WinnersLigustrum japonicum
Zones:7 - 9Habit : Upright bushy habitHeight / Spread:4 to 6 understructure tall , 3 to 4 ft wide
Kindly ™ is anon - invasiveJapanese privet that provides yr - round evergreen plant colour , with shining ellipse green leaves and fragrant white flowers that flower for week in spring and summertime . This compact variety is worthy for smaller blank space . Use as privacy plant along fence or property lines .
GOOD trembling ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersLigustrum ovalifolium
Zones:6 - 9Habit : good bushy habitHeight / Spread:36 to 60 inches improbable , 30 to 48 inches wide
Good Vibrations ® is a variegated privet with fine textured deciduous foliage . The small leave-taking are bright gold with a window pane of green in the center . purpose as a focal point , in foundation plantings , or as hedge to brighten up the landscape . With a tiresome increase charge per unit , this sort is suitable for smaller yard and needs little or no pruning . This mixed bag has not been seen to bloom or set fruit or seed over several years of observation .
lucky TICKET ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersLigustrumxvicaryi
Zones:5 - 8Habit : Upright mounding habitHeight / Spread:4 to 6 feet tall and wide
Golden Ticket ® is a non - invasive deciduous bush with shining golden new growth that fades to chartreuse . Fragrant livid flowers perfume the air in spring and summer , while the brightly colored foliage is useful for perch up darker areas of the yard . expend in mass planting , as hedge or screening .
Photo : LMPark Photos / Shutterstock
TEXAS PRIVETLigustrum japonicum’Texanum '
Zones:7 - 11Habit : vertical shaggy habitHeight / Spread:6 to 10 feet tall , 4 to 8 feet wide
Also known as waxleaf privet , this variety produces glossy evergreen foliation and pyramidical spires of fragrant white-hot flowers that are followed by bunch of black berries . With a larger , more vigorous growth habit , Texas privet is utile as privacy screen along a place air and respond well to snip into hedging or topiaries . love to be trespassing in many parts of the southeastern U.S. , as well as areas of California and Utah .
picture : tamu1500 / Shutterstock
GLOSSY PRIVETLigustrum lucidum
Zones:7 - 10Habit : just bushy habitHeight / Spread:10 to 40 feet tall , 10 to 20 foot wide
This gravid broadleaf evergreen plant shrub produces shiny oval green foliation , pyramidal shaped white flower panicles and opprobrious berry that can prevail into winter . The flying ontogenesis rate and large size of it makes this useful as a quick growing windbreak or tall hedge tree . Plants are difficult to remove once found andshould not be grown where they are known to be trespassing , include southern regions and parts of California .
pic : Thijs de Graaf / Shutterstock
CALIFORNIA PRIVETLigustrum ovalifolium
Zones:5 - 8Habit : Upright shaggy habitHeight / Spread:10 to 15 feet tall and blanket
Also known as Korean privet , this obtuse fast - originate shrub bring out glossy , sullen immature , oval leaves and clusters of creamy white flowers that are followed by black-market berry . Plants are deciduous in cold climates and semi - evergreen or evergreen in warmer region . California privet is extremely amenable to weighed down pruning and is one of the right bushes for privacy screening or hedging .
photograph : Gabriela Beres / Shutterstock
CHINESE PRIVETLigustrum sinense
Zones:6 - 9Habit : just bushy habitHeight / Spread:10 to 15 feet improbable and broad
Chinese privet has shiny oval green folio that are produced on long arching stems , pyramidal white flower panicles , and clusters of minuscule purple - black berries . Native to China , this mintage has escaped culture and is view ashighly invasive in the mid - Atlantic , southeast U.S. , and Texas . This privet is not recommended for home landscape painting .
Photo : Vipul1989 / Shutterstock
JAPANESE PRIVETLigustrum japonicum
Zones:7 - 10Habit : Upright shaggy-coated habitHeight / Spread:6 to 12 feet improbable , 5 to 8 metrical foot all-inclusive
This broadleaf evergreen plant has a tight growing dense habit , producing shiny oval William Green leaves up to 4 inches long , fragrant ashen flowers and shiny bleak yield . Japanese privet is conformable to pruning and shearing . Train into a topiary or modest tree diagram or originate as a quick - growing privacy screen . This specie is invasive in the southeast U.S. and parts of Texas . As an alternative , useKindly ™ Japanese privet , a non - invasive variety .
photograph : Orest Iyzhechka / Shutterstock
plebeian PRIVETLigustrum vulgare
Zones:4 - 7Habit : just bushy habitHeight / Spread:10 to 15 feet tall , 8 to 15 feet wide
This deciduous or semi - evergreen bush is hardier than most other privet . plant produce glossy lance - shaped green leave of absence and small conical flower clustering that are keep abreast by shiny black berries . Plants are extremely amenable to shearing and can be used as topiary or formal hedge . vulgar privet is invasive in constituent of the northeastern U.S. , mid - Atlantic , Midwest , Texas , and Pacific Northwest .
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Are privets evergreen?
Ligustrumcan be deciduous , semi - evergreen or evergreen plant , depending on the specie and growing region .
How invasive is privet?
Privet shrubs can be pretty to extremely incursive , depending on the species and growing area . Newer variety have been breed to be sterile and non - trespassing .
Is privet toxic to dogs?
The leaves and berries of privet shrubs are mildly to moderately toxic to dogs if ingested .
Where is the best place to plant ligustrum?
Provide a web site that receives full sun to fond shade with well - draining soil .
PRIVET LANDSCAPING TIPS
For borders and landscapes:
Privet can be used as hedge , privacy screening , and in aggregate planting . Use minor multifariousness with cosmetic foliage as a focal point in the landscape .
For slopes and hillsides:
Mass privet plants along a slope or hillside to help stanch erosion .
For containers:
Due to its larger fledged size and speedy growth rate , privet is not recommended to be grown in containers .
There are many ways to use privet in your landscape painting . Here ’s how :
Note : Depending on the variety , privet shrubs can be quite messy with efflorescence , fruit , and leaf drib .
Companion plant : Other shrubs that go with privet includeabelia , arborvitae , Turkish boxwood , euonymus , false cypress tree , hibiscus , holly , juniper , mahonia , quince , androses . recurrent companions includeagapanthus , hosta , lady ’s mantle , ornamental pasturage , peony , andsedum .
Privet alternatives : In area where privet is invading , growsterile cultivarsor other shrubs with similar grow needs instead . These may includearonia , highbush blueberry bush , holly , mountain laurel , pieris , flushed branchlet dogwood , sumac , viburnum , or winterberry .
