PLANT: Chinese privet (Ligustrum
sinense) and European privet
(L. vulgare) are essentially
indistinguishable except at
flowering, with Chinese privet being
the most common.
IDENTIFICATION: Thicket
forming shrubs to 30 feet tall,
semi-evergreen, soft woody,
multi-stemmed, long, leafy branches.
Opposite or whorled branches,
branching increases upward, twigs
long slender and projecting outward
at near right-angles. Branches are
brownish gray and short hairy (rusty
or grayish) with light dots
(lenticels), becoming gray-green,
leaf scars raised half-circular with
one bundle scar, bark brownish-gray
to gray and slightly rough (not
fissured).
Leaves are opposite in two rows at
near right-angle to stem, ovate to
elliptic, 0.8-1.6 in. long and
0.4-1.2 in. wide, margins entire,
tip rounded (often minutely
indented), lustrous green above and
pale green. Chinese privet leaves
are hairy beneath. Japanese privet (Ligustrum
japonicum) has larger leaves than
the other two privets.
FLOWERS: Abundant,
white, fragrant flowers appear April
- June. Pale green fruits appear in
October – February, ripening to dark
purple appearing almost black in
late fall.
ECOLOGY: Although a
traditional ornamental shrub, it is
now an aggressive and troublesome
invasive species. Shade tolerant. It
forms dense thickets, particularly
in bottomland forests, and along
fencerows, gaining access to
forests, fields, and rights-of-way.
Colonizes by root sprouts; spreads by
abundant seeds dispersed widely by
birds and other animals.
HERBICIDE CONTROL:
Apply a glyphosate herbicide as a 3%
solution (12 ounces per 3-gal. mix)
or Arsenal AC as a 1% solution (4
ounces per 3-gal. mix) in water with
a surfactant to thoroughly wet all
leaves in August to December. For
stems too tall for foliar sprays,
apply Garlon 4 as a 20% solution
(2.5 quarts per 3-gal. mix) in
commercially available basal oil,
diesel fuel, or kerosene with a
penetrant (check with herbicide
distributor) to young bark as a
basal spray. Alternatively, cut
large stems and immediately treat
stumps with Arsenal AC, or Velpar L
as 10% solutions (1 quart per 3-gal.
mix) in water with a surfactant.
When safety to surrounding
vegetation is a concern, immediately
treat stumps and cut stems with a
glyphosate herbicide or Garlon 3A as
20% solutions (2.5 quarts per 3-gal.
mix) in water with a surfactant.
WARNING: Arsenal AC or Velpar L can
damage plants with roots in the
treated area. Always read and follow
label directions carefully.
Source: Nonnative Invasive Plants of
Southern Forests, James Miller, 2004
Photo Credit: Ted Bodner, Southern
Weed Science Society, www.forestryimages.org
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