Chinese privet

Chinese privet Care

Ligustrum sinense

Other names: Common Privet

What is the plant

Ligustrum sinense is a species of privet native to China, Taiwan and Vietnam. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant and for hedges and can be used as a popular bonsai tree.

Ligustrum sinense is a deciduous shrub growing to 2–7 m tall, with densely hairy shoots. The leaves are opposite, 2–7 cm long and 1–3 cm broad, rarely larger, with an entire margin and a 2–8 mm petiole. The flowers are white, with a four-lobed corolla 3.5–5.5 mm long. The fruit is subglobose, 5–8 mm diameter, and considered poisonous. It was introduced to North America to be used for hedges and landscaping where it has now escaped from cultivation and is listed as an invasive plant in southeastern states. It is estimated that Chinese privet now occupies over one million hectares of land across 12 states ranging from Virginia to Florida and west to Texas, with detrimental effects to biodiversity and forest health. Invasive in the southeastern US.

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Lighting

Full Sun

Hardiness zone

6a - 9b

Difficulty

Easy

Invasive

Weed

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Water your privet hedges weekly. You may need to water more frequently in high heat. Drip irrigation is a good choice, especially for new hedges. Once established, they are noted to be drought tolerant.
Fertilizer
Add aged compost to the soil when planting your privet shrubs, mixing approximately 3 inches of compost into the top 1 foot of soil. Apply a 15-5-10 fertilizer to the soil around your privet shrubs in early spring or mid-fall when the privet shrubs aren't producing new, green shoots.
Sunlight
Privet varieties like either full sun or part sun, and will grow best when they get more sun. A good amount of sun also brings out the color best for gold and variegated varieties.

Disease diagnosis

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Soil
Privet is tolerant of a variety of soil types, as well as different levels of acidity and alkalinity, so long as it drains well. Amend the soil if there are any areas of poor soil. They are salt-tolerant plants, which is an important consideration if they will be near a street that gets salted in the winter.
Temperature
This plant is considered hardy in the areas with the lowest winter temperatures of 0°F and 10°F or -17.8°C and -12.2°C.
Popularity
1,759 people already have this plant 319 people have added this plant to their wishlists