Privet - Ligustrum vulgare - €5 per plant  
Hedging packs of 50 for €50 - 100 for €90 - 200 for €180 

This is an excellent hedging or understory plant and makes a good windbreak. Privet is also renowned as being beneficial to wildlife. Many birds nest in taller specimens and other small mammals shelter underneath the plant. It is an important food plant for many caterpillars, including the larvae of the privet hawk moth. Easily grown in most soils.  To order this plant please contact us [email protected]. 

Context

  • native region: Central and southern Europe, including Britain and  to N. Africa.
  • native habitat: Open woodland, hedges and scrub, often found by the sea 
  • family: Oleaceae

Predators

  • Birds are attracted to berries
  • This species is notably susceptible to honey fungus​

Needs, tolerances 

  • Light: Full shade, semi-shade or full sun for best fruiting results
  • soil pH:  Acid, neutral -basic alkaline and can grow in very alkaline soils.
  • Hardiness Zone: 4
  • Prefers dry or moist soil
  • Tolerant of atmospheric pollution
  • Tolerates drought once established, but cannot tolerate waterlogging

Known Hazards 
  • Poisonous,  although the toxicity is of a very low order and normally the consumption of the fruit leads to vomiting or no symptoms at all

Overview

  • €2 per plant 
  • 2nd yr sapling bare root  
  • Evergreen Shrub growing to 3m by 3m 
  • Hardy to zone 4. 
  • Flowers from Jan to July, and the seeds ripen from Sept to October. 
  • The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.
  • Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. 
  • Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
  • Can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.
  • Prefers dry or moist soil.

Characteristics

  • form: Evergreen shrub
  • layer : Shrub Layer
  • habit: A suckering shrub that formsdense thickets
  • height x width (m): 3 x 3: 

Products 

  • Fruit: Berry Sept - Oct.  Fruit is mildly toxic to humans but attractive to a variety of birds, including thrushes.
  • Wood: Can be valuable for turning if it gets big enough. The young twigs are sometimes used in basketry. The wood is a source of charcoal.
  • Flowers: Creamy white flowers that are attractive to wildlife

Functions, behaviours

  • Animal dispersed seed
  • Drops leaves in early winter although plants in warmer areas can be fully evergreen
  • Plants in this genus are notably susceptible to honey fungus
  • A very easy plant to grow, thriving in most conditions except very poor soil
  • Very tolerant of pruning
If you would like this plant  please send an email to [email protected] with your order. 
Balkan Ecology Project