Ligustrum ovalifolium - Privet

The Ligustrum ovalifolium or California privet is a bush that is easy to grow and has vigorous growth, making it perfect for creating an informal or trimmed hedge. Depending on your budget, the length of your hedge, your patience, and the time you can dedicate to gardening, different types of privet are available.

- For an economical privet hedge, choose bare-root plants for autumn or winter planting. The soil preparation should be meticulous (thorough weeding, removal of all roots, planting trench), and it is advisable to place a weed suppressant at the base of the bushes to limit the germination of weeds until they establish themselves. Once established, they grow rapidly and will quickly catch up with their cultivated counterparts in pots. This is the most economical solution when creating a hedge of at least 10 metres (32.8ft) in length.

- For a fast-growing privet hedge, or to fill in an existing hedge, choose bushes in 3-litre or even 10-litre pots. Potted bushes can be planted all year round, except during freezing or hot periods. They are planted in individual planting holes, like any other garden shrub. While they immediately make an impact, they take a little longer to establish and will require more frequent and regular watering, especially in dry summers.

Respect the proper planting distance according to the size of your plant! Allow a space of 60cm (23.6in) between each plant for bare-root bushes, 70 to 80cm (31.5in) for plants in 2 or 3-litre pots, and 1 to 1.2m (3.3ft) for larger pots of 10 litres or more.

The Ligustrum ovalifolium is native to Japan and Korea, and it is called the California privet because it arrived in Europe via California. Privets belong to the Oleaceae family, just like Lilacs and Forsythias. It is a tall bush that can reach a height of 4m (13.1ft) with a spread of 3m (9.8ft). It has a naturally upright habit, compact if pruned every year. The California privet has semi-evergreen foliage composed of small oval leaves measuring 2 to 7cm (2.8in) in length. The leaves are shiny green on the upper side and green-yellow on the underside. The colour of the leaves becomes violet in winter. In July, small cream-white highly fragrant and nectar-rich flowers appear in panicles measuring 5 to 10cm (3.9in). They are followed by small spherical black berries in autumn, which will persist throughout winter. The leaves, flowers, and fruits of the privet are toxic to humans and animals if ingested.

The California privet is suitable for creating informal or trimmed hedges, as a privacy screen or windbreak, due to the density of its foliage, its hardiness, and its naturally very dense branching. It is easy to shape as desired, making it well-suited for bonsai. It is also well-suited for topiary (ball or other shapes) or trained as a standard or half-standard and grown in a pot. Lastly, it will have a beautiful effect when combined with other trimmed shrubs, playing with the shape and colour of the foliage, in a structured and minimalist setting. It also works well when planted in groups, mass plantings, borders, rock gardens, as a standalone specimen, or in a wild hedge.

It can be planted in association with other shrubs (purple Physocarpus, purple Berberis, Photinia, Elaeagnus, St. John's Wort, Kerria japonica, white Spiraea) and perennial plants (Baptisia, shrubby Salvias, tree Lupin) for a beautiful flowering wild hedge, allowing you to enjoy its foliage and pleasant flowering by letting it grow naturally. It is possible that the roots of the privet may hinder the growth of certain perennial plants planted at its base. As a precaution, ensure a sufficient planting distance around it.

It should be noted that this bush has a very high pollution resistance, making it valuable in urban gardens. With its highly fragrant flowers that contain a lot of pollen, making it highly nectar-rich, this privet contributes to the preservation of bees. Its pollen can be an allergen for some people.