Ligustrum’s Winter Reveal

Privet (Ligustrum sp.) is one of the worst non-native invasive plants in Georgia. It thrives in all conditions (sun, shade, wet, and dry), allowing its seeds to germinate and grow almost anywhere they land. During the leafy seasons—when other plants are fully leafed out—privet plants might not be as noticeable, but come winter their evergreen leaves stand out, revealing their presence.

Ligustrum has opposite leaves

While the small-leaf Ligustrum sinense (often called ‘hedge’ by old-timers) is the more well-known of the naturalized privets here, the wax-leaf privet (Ligustrum japonicum) is getting more use in landscapes and, as a result, is starting to invade more areas. I had been watching a group of 3-4 plants get larger and larger in one neighbor’s wooded area. It had seeded in some years ago from another neighbor’s wax-leaf shrubs, but I had hoped that the shade would keep it from blooming. This year, after most of the deciduous leaves dropped from the plants around, I noticed that the largest of the plants had such abundant fruit on it that the branches drooped with the weight.

Fruit on multiple branches

Sourwood next to the Ligustrum

As time goes by, it will shade out some of the native plants that might have grown there like sourwood saplings and blueberries. One of the sourwood saplings nearby had bright foliage; you can see in the picture where the privet grows relative to the other plants.

Now is a great time to identify any evergreen invasive plants in your landscape or restoration area and remove them. Most of Georgia enjoys year-round planting conditions so get some native shrubs to replace them. While it might seem that the birds need these fruits, research has shown that bird populations overall do better with a diverse mix of native plants, and there are many that provide fruits.