Northern Privet

Northern Privet For Sale - Ligustrum

Northern Privet is a well-known shrub across North America. This useful and attractive shrub is a deciduous hybrid cross between L. ovalifolium and L. obtusifolium, most closely resembling L. ovalifolium. While this shrub does not have a native range as a hybrid, both of its parent species are native to Asia.

It is most commonly used as a hedge, and is the fastest-growing Northern Privet hedge across the USA. It can gain as much as 3 ft in height per year and has an upright, multi-stem habit that is responsive to shearing and pruning.

Northern Privet Plant Details

Family: Oleaceae (Olive family)

Hardiness Zones: 4–7

Light Requirement: Full sun to part shade

Water Needs: Dry to medium

Height: 8 - 12 ft

Spread: 6 - 8 ft

Northern Privet Growth Rate: Fast

Bloom Time: June

Flower Color: White

Wildlife Value: Attracts butterflies and bees

The leaves of this plant are deep, glossy green and ovate. Due to its ability to be shaped by pruning or left to its growth habit, this plant is a versatile shrub to add to the garden. When grown without shaping, this shrub tends to take on a pyramidal shape naturally.

If pruning, it can be made into a hedge of multiple individuals, solo boxed shrubs, or shaped into rounded focal points throughout the yard. Due to its robust nature and dense foliage, it also makes a fantastic windbreak.

While Northern Privet is mainly used for its dense foliage in hedges, its flowers are noteworthy, attractive, aromatic, and delightful in springtime. Panicles of creamy white flowers emerge in early spring. Rich in nectar, these flowers are a favorite for pollinators.

Landscape Uses for Northern Privet

Northern Privet will grow across full sun to part shade conditions. It is impressively cold-hardy, weathering some of the most brutal winter storms, and it is virtually pest-and disease-free. It grows in dry to medium-moisture, well-drained neutral soils. Water well until established; however, once rooted, it is quite drought-tolerant.

Key Features of Northern Privet (Ligustrum x ibolium)

Easily shaped, low-maintenance, and attractive to pollinators. Whether planting this shrub as a specimen or as a part of a hedge, you will enjoy its rich green foliage and aromatic flowers year after year. Shop for Northern Privet shrubs online at TN Nursery. For 68 years, we have served the landscaping industry and homeowners with specimen plants.