Wild privet Ligustrum vulgare
 
Family:        Oleaceae - Olive family
Height:       to 4m
Flowering:  June-July
Fruiting:      Autumn
 
A small shrub of hedgerows and scrub on calcareous soils, wild privet is semi-evergreen with attractive elliptical-lanceolate leaves and with rather unpleasantly scented but nectar-laden pale cream flowers in June-July followed by black berries in autumn.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Associated species
 
Privet is main food plant of the magnificent privet hawkmoth Sphinx ligustri, and larval food plant to over 35 other species of moth. Many of the moth species associated with wild privet will settle for garden privet including the privet hawkmoth.
 
 
 
 
 
 
History and uses
 
Wild privet was first recorded by William Turner in 1562,1. but it has not had much use traditionally except for hedging, in fact the word “hedge” in some places is synonymous with privet.  The heavily scented blossom is not wholly pleasant, and it is thought unlucky to bring it into the house.2. 
 
 
 
 
Wild privet may be confused with Garden or Japanese privet, Ligustrum ovalifolium (left) which is  an evergreen shrub, with more rounded leaves very commonly used for suburban garden hedges.
 
Garden privet was introduced in the mid nineteenth century3. and is generally considered a much better hedge plant as it is fully evergreen.
 
References
 
 
1.   Pearman, D. The Discovery of the Native Flora of Britain and Ireland. (2017). BSBI, Bristol p 253
 
2.   Vickery, R. 2019. Vickery’s Folk Flora, An A to Z of the Folklore and Uses of British and Irish Plants. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. London pp 546
 
3.   Stace, C. and Crawley, M.J. (2015) Alien Plants. New Naturalist HarperCollins p.411
 
4.   Biological Records Centre database
 
 
 
Page written and compiled by Steve Head
Wild privet Ligustrum vulgare
 
Family:        Oleaceae - Olive family
Height:       to 4m
Flowering:  June-July
Fruiting:      Autumn
 
A small shrub of hedgerows and scrub on calcareous soils, wild privet is semi-evergreen with attractive elliptical-lanceolate leaves and with rather unpleasantly scented but nectar-laden pale cream flowers in June-July followed by black berries in autumn.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Wild privet Ligustrum vulgare
 
Family:        Oleaceae - Olive family
Height:       to 4m
Flowering:  June-July
Fruiting:      Autumn
 
A small shrub of hedgerows and scrub on calcareous soils, wild privet is semi-evergreen with attractive elliptical-lanceolate leaves and with rather unpleasantly scented but nectar-laden pale cream flowers in June-July followed by black berries in autumn.
 
 
 
 
 
 
History and uses
 
Wild privet was first recorded by William Turner in 1562,1. but it has not had much use traditionally except for hedging, in fact the word “hedge” in some places is synonymous with privet.  The heavily scented blossom is not wholly pleasant, and it is thought unlucky to bring it into the house.2. 
 
 
 
 
Wild privet may be confused with Garden or Japanese privet, Ligustrum ovalifolium (left) which is  an evergreen shrub, with more rounded leaves very commonly used for suburban garden hedges.
 
Garden privet was introduced in the mid nineteenth century3. and is generally considered a much better hedge plant as it is fully evergreen.
 
Associated species
 
Privet is main food plant of the magnificent privet hawkmoth Sphinx ligustri, and larval food plant to over 35 other species of moth. Many of the moth species associated with wild privet will settle for garden privet including the privet hawkmoth.
 
 
 
 
 
 
References
 
1.   Pearman, D. The Discovery of the Native Flora of Britain and Ireland. (2017). BSBI, Bristol p 253
 
2.   Vickery, R. 2019. Vickery’s Folk Flora, An A to Z of the Folklore and Uses of British and Irish Plants. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. London p 546
 
3.   Stace, C. and Crawley, M.J. (2015) Alien Plants. New Naturalist HarperCollins p.411
 
4.   Biological Records Centre database
 
 
 
Page written and compiled by Steve Head
           Garden Wildplants
        Garden Wildplants