Common Name(s): | Chinese Privet, Privet,Chinese |
Scientific Name: | Ligustrum sinense |
Family: | Oleaceae |
Longevity: | Perennial |
Season: | Cool |
Origin: | Introduced |
Height: | 4 m |
Flowers: | April - May |
Fruits: | Fall - Winter |
Description: An introduced shrub from China adapted to a variety of sites. Commonly planted as an ornamental. Can easily escape and spread rapidly, overtaking native vegetation, persisting, becoming naturalized and the dominant understory shrub in some areas. Fruits mature bluish or black, remain attached in the winter and are eaten by many birds. Flowers typically have a heavy, somewhat fishy smell that is offensive to some. Fruits are poisonous and have caused fatalities in humans. Leaves are poisonous to livestock and can cause dermatitis in some humans. Can be evergreen or somewhat deciduous in mild winters. |