If you want privacy, plant privet.
With regular pruning, this quick growing shrub can be shaped into an ideal landscape feature.
Southern Living/Evgeniya Vlasova
Although one species makes a fine landscape tree, privets are first and foremost hedge plants.
Credit:Southern Living/Evgeniya Vlasova
They take well to shearing and can be clipped into almost any shape.
Clipped hedges produce fewer flowers, as shearing removes most of the flower buds.
Blossoms are followed by small, berrylike, blue-black fruit.
Credit:Southern Living/Evgeniya Vlasova
Birds eat them and distribute the seeds everywherewith the result that seedlings come up everywhere, too.
Most make good container subjects.
Privet is resistant to browsing deer and toxic to pets.
Credit:Southern Living/Evgeniya Vlasova
But there are many varieties of this plant that are easy to care for and grow well.
And best of all, they will behave.
Cover with soil that drains well and water regularly to establish.
Credit:Southern Living/Evgeniya Vlasova
Then clip them into shape whenever you like.
They are not picky.
Light
Plant privet infull sunwhere it will get at least six hours of direct sunlight.
Credit:Southern Living/Evgeniya Vlasova
It will tolerate partial shade, but it is the sun that brings out the color in the leaves.
In colder climates, privets lose their leaves.
Fertilizer
Types of Privet
Japanese Privet Ligustrum Japonicum.
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Grows in Zones 7-10 (USDA), in MS, LS, CS, and TS.
This is an excellent plant for hedges or screens, or even shaping into small trees.
Roundleaf Japanese Privet Rotundifoliumgrows4-5 feet high; has nearly round leaves to 2 in.
Often sold as Ligustrum texanum.Variegatumleaves have creamy white margins and blotches.
Glossy Privet Ligustrum Lucidumgrows in Zone 7-10 (USDA), in LS, CS, TS.
This evergreen tree is native to China, Korea, Japan.
This variety grows into a round-headed tree that eventually reaches 35-40 ft. high and wide.
It can be kept lower as a big shrub or may form a multi trunked tree.
Flowers in especially large, feathery clusters are followed by a profusion of fruit.
Fine lawn tree that grows well in narrow areas, or set 10 feet apartfor tall privacy screen.
Before planting this tree, carefully weigh the advantages against the disadvantages.
Fallen seeds (and those dropped by birds) sprout profusely in ground cover and will need pulling.
Fruiting clusters are bare and unattractive after fruit drop.
For use as a hedge, set plants 9-12 inches apart; clip early and often for low-dense branching.
Be prepared for regular maintenance; you might need to shear every 3 weeks in hot, wet weather.
Yellow-Edge California Privet, Golden Privet Aureumleaves have broad yellow edges.
Its often sold as ‘Variegatum’.
A native Chinese plant, this privet grows 10-15 feet tall and wide.
This species has become a weed in the Southeast, conquering woodlands and stream banks.
It is hard to kill but worth the effort required to do so.
Try one of the three selections, below, for a better behaved plant.
This is a good choice for a low hedge or a container plant.
Variegated Chinese Privet Variegatumgrows quickly to 6 feet tall and wide.
Its one of the better looking variegated plants with handsome matte green leaves and creamy white margins.
Use it to brighten dull areas of the garden.
Cut away any branches with solid green leaves.
Leathery, somewhat twisted dark green leaves; no fruit.
Use as low hedge, as foundation planting, in containers.
This deciduous shrub has yellow leaves.
(Color will be strongest on plants in full sun.)
Grows 4-6 feet (and possibly up to 12 feet) and 8-10 feet wide.
Pruning
Be diligent with your pruning and shaping efforts to maintain privets size.
Shear the top to control height and sides to create a hedge.
Overwintering
Privet will withstand outdoor temperatures in all seasons.
(Its hardy to Zone 3, USDA.)
Prune privet as needed to keep it in check.
Shear from the top of the hedge to encourage the sides to grow.
This will help bare spots fill.
Robledo-Retana T, Mani BM, Teran LM.Ligustrumpollen: new insights into allergic disease.World Allergy Organ J.
