Common privet

Profile

Family

Oleaceae

Habit

Shrub

Height

3 m

Spread

3 m

Growth

medium

Lifespan

30 years

First yield

after 5 years

Hardiness

zone 4–7

Shade tolerance

partial shade

Soil

Sand, Silt, Loam, Clay

Soil moisture

very dry – very wet

pH

5.5 – 7

Synonyms

Liguster

Flowering & harvest

Times apply to the northern hemisphere in a temperate climate and shift with altitude and cultivar.

Uses

Other uses: Yellow dye is extracted from the leaves, while a different dye is obtained from the bark. The berries yield a bluish-green dye that is more stable than most green shades. Additionally, a black dye and ink can be obtained from the fruit. The wood is hard and fine-grained, valuable for turning and making small tools. It also serves as a source of charcoal. The young branches are used in basket weaving and hurdle making.

Growing

A highly tolerant and easy-to-grow plant that thrives in any soil that is not very poor. It grows well in heavy clay soils and prefers calcareous soils but also thrives in thin, dry soils. The plant grows well in open forests or in the full shade of a wall, but it blooms and fruits best in a sunny location. It is tolerant to air pollution and once established, it can also withstand drought but is not waterlogged. A spreading shrub that forms dense thickets and provides good bird protection. An important food plant for many caterpillars, including the larvae of the privet hawk moth. This species is particularly susceptible to the honey fungus.

Propagation

In spring, sow the seeds in a cold frame. Stored seeds germinate better when stratified. Remove any flesh around the seeds before sowing to prevent inhibition of germination. Once the seedlings are large enough, transplant them into individual pots and let them grow in the cold frame over their first winter. Plant them in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts, in their final location. Seeds can also be sown in outdoor seedbeds in autumn. You can let the plants grow in the seedbed for up to 4 years before planting them in their final location in winter. Take cuttings of semi-ripe wood, 5 - 10 cm with a heel, in July/August in a frame. Very straightforward. Take cuttings of mature wood, 20 - 30 cm, in November/December in a sheltered outdoor bed. The cuttings can also be placed directly on-site if necessary. High success rate.

Notable

Special features: very tolerant (soil, drought, salt, air pollution, lime, shade, sea wind, ...), resilient and undemanding hedge plant; Forms a dense root system and thicket for protection, as well as food for small mammals, ~20 bird species, many bee and caterpillar species; The Ligustrum variety 'Atrovirens' is considered evergreen.

Origin & habitat

Central and Southern Europe, including North Africa.

Lowland swamps and intermittently flooded land, North and South Stewart, Chatham and Auckland Islands. The lowland swamps and intermittently flooded areas span across North and South Stewart Islands, as well as Chatham and Auckland.

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