Ligustrum ovalifolium
| Ligustrum ovalifolium | |
| Light: |    |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 13' |
| Width: | 10' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Ligustrum ovalifolium (common name: privet)
Propagation: The seed does not require any pre-treatment and can be sown in the spring in a cold frame[1]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Very easy[2].
Cuttings of mature wood, 20 - 30cm in a sheltered outdoor bed in November/December. High percentage[2].
Cultivation: A very tolerant and easily grown plant, it succeeds in any soil that is not impoverished[3]. Dislikes very alkaline soils[4]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds in dark corners or places starved by tree roots[3][5]. Shade tolerant, established plants also tolerate drought[6].
Plants are hardy to about -15°c[4]. They can be cut back to the ground in very severe winters but usually resprout from the base[6]. Plants are often deciduous in cold winters, when grown in poor soils, near the coast or in an exposed position.
A moderately fast-growing plant[4], though it is also very greedy, robbing the surrounding soil of more nutrients and moisture than most hedging plants[6].
Some named forms have been developed for their ornamental value[5][6].
This species is notably susceptible to honey fungus[6].
Range: E. Asia - Japan.
Habitat: Thickets near the sea in C. and S. Japan[7].
Usage: A very good hedge plant, succeeding in maritime exposure and in many difficult situations. Very amenable to heavy trimming but fairly slow growing, especially when in an exposed position[3][8]. It can take 9 - 10 years to make a 3 metres tall hedge in exposed positions[9]. The cultivars 'Aureum' and 'Argenteum' are especially recommended[6].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure
Pollution: Tolerates environmental pollution.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Seed Ripens: Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Known Hazards: Although no reports of toxicity have been seen for this species, at least one member of this genus is recorded as being mildly toxic and it is quite possible that other members of the genus also contain toxins[10].
Links
References
- ↑ Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Davis, Brian. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking, 1990.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Ohwi, Jisaburo. Flora of Japan. Smithsonian Institution, 1965.
- ↑ Shepherd, F. W.. Hedges and Screens. Royal Horticultural Society, 1974.
- ↑ Rosewarne Experimental Horticultural Station. Shelter Trees and Hedges. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 1984.
- ↑ Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.