How to grow Common privet

Ligustrum vulgare · wild privet, European privet

A fast-growing deciduous shrub from Europe, semi-evergreen in mild winters, long used for hedging in cold areas. Left unclipped it reaches 3–4.5 m, with strongly scented white flower panicles in June and glossy black berries. All parts are harmful if eaten, including to dogs.

Common privet — Photo: Rasbak, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts

Type	Shrub
Family	Oleaceae
Light	Full sun
Frost	tolerates light frost
Where it grows	Open ground

When to plant

Planted as a young plant from a nursery while it is dormant — in early spring before the buds open, or in autumn after leaf fall.

Frost dates · When to plant

Care

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 7 days	—	—
Flowering	every 7 days	—	—
Winter rest	—	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Full sun to part shade.

Soil

Any well-drained soil, including chalk; it tolerates drought and town conditions but not wet ground.

Care

Water a newly planted hedge thoroughly about once a week in dry weather until the ground freezes. Clip hedges once or twice in summer; a shrub grown for its flowers is pruned straight after flowering. It self-seeds and can spread beyond the garden.

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.