Japanese privet
(Ligustrum japonicum)
This species is Introduced in the United States
Ligustrum japonicum is a thick, evergreen shrub that grows up to 20 ft. (6.1 m) in height. The trunks usually occur as multiple stems with many long, leafy branches.
Foliage
Leaves are opposite, oval, up to 2 in. (5.1 cm) long, with a pointed apex and often with margins that are slightly rolled.
Flowers
Flowering occurs in spring to summer, when very abundant, white flowers occur in clusters at the end of branches.
Fruit
Fruits are 0.2 in. (0.5 cm) wide, dark purple to black berries (drupes) that persist into winter.
Ecological Threat
Ligustrum japonicum commonly forms dense thickets in fields or forest understories. It shades and out-competes many native species, and once established is very difficult to remove. Privet was introduced into the United States in the early 1800s. It is commonly used as an ornamental shrub and for hedgerows. Several privet species occur and they are very hard to distinguish. Ligustrum japonicum is sometimes set apart by the thickness and glossiness of the leaves. Glossy privet (L. lucidum) also has thick, glossy leaves, but the leaves are usually larger (3-6 in. [5-15 cm] long).
Citations
Rawlins, K.A., R.L. Winston, C.T. Bargeron, D.J. Moorhead, and R. Carroll. 2018. New Invaders of the Northeast and Northcentral United States. USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Assessment and Applied Sciences Team, Morgantown, West Virginia. FHTET-2017-04. Retrieved from https://bugwoodcloud.org/resource/pdf/FHTET-2017-04_New%20Invaders_NE.pdf
Resources
- A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests - USDA Forest Service
- Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas - National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual - SE-EPPC
- Element Stewardship Abstract - The Nature Conservancy
- Fire Effects Information System - USDA Forest Service
Selected Images
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State Lists - This map identifies those states that have this species on their invasive species list or law.
Invasive Listing Sources
- Alabama Invasive Plant Council - Watch list A
- Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council - Category 2
- John Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Survey of TNC Preserves, 1995.
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources Policy: Restriction on Planting Exotic Invasive Plants
- National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
- New Invaders of the Northeast and Northcentral
- Non-Native Invasive Plants of the City of Alexandria, Virginia
- Nonnative Invasive Species in Southern Forest and Grassland Ecosystems
- Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Invasive Plants
- Reichard, Sarah. 1994. Assessing the potential of invasiveness in woody plants introduced in North America. University of Washington Ph.D. dissertation.
- South Carolina Exotic Pest Plant Council
- WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
Taxonomic Rank
| Domain: Eukarya |
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Magnoliophyta |
| Class: Magnoliopsida |
| Superorder: Asteranae |
| Order: Lamiales |
| Family: Oleaceae |
| Genus: Ligustrum |
| Ligustrum japonicum |
References
Common Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Scientific Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.