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| Category: Shrub |
| Family: Oleaceae (Olives) |
| Origin: Japan (Asia) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: White |
| Bloomtime: Spring/Summer |
| Height: 8-12 feet |
| Width: 6-8 feet |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Medium Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: <15° F |
| May be Poisonous (More Info): Yes |
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Ligustrum japonicum (Japanese Privet) - This is a fast growing dense evergreen shrub or small tree that typically grows 8-12 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide but old specimens are often larger. I has thick rounded oblong leaves up to 4 inches long that are glossy green above and whitish underneath with new growth flushed red. Fragrant (some consider this a good smell but most do not) small white flowers bloom in terminal panicles in late spring to early summer and are followed by 1/4 inch wide blue-black berries. Plant in sun or light shade and water regularly, occasionally to infrequently. Hardy to below 15 degrees F and useful in USDA zones 7b-10. Tolerant of most conditions including saline soils but not particularly good along seashore and not good in permanently wet situations. This plant makes a relatively drought tolerant hedge or large screen where close planting and pruning keeps it taller than wide, but out on its own can become a broader canopied small tree. The musky scented flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies and the fruit to birds, though they are considered poisonous to humans if eaten in quantity. This plant is native to central and southern Japan and Korea Woods where it grows as a small tree or in thickets in lowland and along hills. This plant was first introduced into the US in 1845 and so has had a long history in the Southeastern and California gardens. The name for the genus originated in Latin as was applied by Pliny the Elder to Ligustrum vulgare. The specific epithet refers to the Japanese origins of this plant. We also grow the cultivar Ligustrum japonicum 'Texanum'.
The information on this page is based on the research that we have conducted about this plant in the San Marcos Growers library, from what we have found on reliable online sources, as well as from observations made of our crops of this plant growing in the nursery and of plants growing in the nursery's garden and those in other gardens where we may have observed it. We also have incorporated comments received from others and welcome getting feedback from those who may have additional information, particularly if this information includes cultural information that would aid others in growing Ligustrum japonicum. |
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