Japanese Privet

Japanese Privet is a fast growing broadleaf evergreen shrub from eastern Asia, grown across the South as a clipped hedge, a privacy screen, or a small multi-trunked tree. Ligustrum japonicum carries glossy dark green leaves two to four inches long and white flower panicles in late spring. Give it full sun to partial shade and any well-drained soil, from sand to clay, acidic or slightly alkaline. It is hardy in USDA zones 7 through 10 and reaches roughly 8 to 12 feet tall, spreading wider than tall on old unpruned plants, though shearing keeps it lower. Established plants handle heat and drought well but need protection from direct salt spray. Blue-black berries ripen in fall, birds eat them and spread the seed, and the UF/IFAS Assessment rates it a high invasion risk not recommended for planting in Florida. Leaves and berries are toxic to dogs, cats, and horses.