Shrub
Glossy Privet
Ligustrum japonicum · Oleaceae
Also called: Japanese Privet, Wax-leaf Privet, Texas Privet
Glossy Privet (Ligustrum japonicum) is a moderate-water shrub well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun to partial shade, with a moderate to fast growth rate.
Glossy Privet at a glance
- Water use
- Moderate (established)
- Sun
- Full sun to partial shade; in the low desert, afternoon shade or filtered light reduces leaf scorch. Tolerates more sun than many broadleaf evergreens with adequate water.
- Mature size
- 8-12 ft tall and 6-10 ft wide (kept smaller and dense as a hedge)
- Growth rate
- Moderate to fast
- Bloom
- Creamy white, fragrant (strongly scented) flower panicles, Late spring to early summer, followed by blue-black berries
- Cold hardiness
- Cold-hardy to about 5-10°F (USDA 7-10); evergreen in Tucson and tolerant of normal winter freezes with little damage.
- Soil
- Adaptable; tolerates a range of soils including alkaline desert soil, though it benefits from organic amendment and good drainage. Avoid constantly wet sites.
- Native range
- Native to Japan and Korea.
- Best used as
- Formal sheared hedge or screen, Topiary, Privacy planting, Small multi-trunk patio tree, Foundation shrub
- Wildlife
- Fragrant flowers attract bees and pollinators; berries are eaten by birds, which spread seeds (can become weedy/invasive in some regions).
- Toxicity
- Berries and leaves are toxic if ingested, causing GI upset (vomiting, diarrhea) in pets, children, and livestock. Flag as a caution plant; pollen and fragrance can also trigger allergies.
How to grow Glossy Privet in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Provide regular deep irrigation; about every 5-7 days in summer and every 14 days in winter, watering to 1.5-2 ft depth. Established plants are moderately tolerant of some drought but look best with steady moisture; mulch to conserve water.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Feed with a balanced shrub fertilizer in spring and early summer. Apply chelated iron and soil sulfur as needed to prevent iron chlorosis common in Tucson's alkaline soils.
Pruning & care
Tolerates heavy shearing and is widely used as a clipped hedge or topiary; shear as needed during the growing season and shape in late winter. Can be limbed up into a small multi-trunk tree.
Notes
A durable, heat-tolerant hedge shrub for Tucson; more forgiving than sweet viburnum. Watch for iron chlorosis and occasional sooty mold/scale. Heavy spring bloom is strongly fragrant and can bother allergy sufferers. Bird-dispersed seedlings can volunteer. Plant in fall or spring. Sometimes confused with Ligustrum lucidum (a larger tree-form privet).
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Pima County Master Gardeners; AMWUA / regional horticulture references