Our range of Wild Privet bare root plants (Ligustrum vulgare)

We have bare root Wild Privet in several specifications.  The 1+1, 2 year old transplants are grown from seed in the first year and then they are lifted, the roots are trimmed to encourage bushy growth, and they are planted back out into a different area of the field, with much wider spacing (so that they can access more nutrients and water) and grown on for a further full growing season ie they are two years old.  We sell them when they are in dormant season from November to April. All these plants are grown by us in Herefordshire.

Wild Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) Summary

Privet has a reputation as a somewhat boring suburban hedge but the variety we grow is the wild, native one and has a great deal to recommend it though it should not be used where animals graze (especially horses).  It is one of the few evergreen species of hedging plant (it is virtually evergreen and only loses its leaves in particularly cold winters or in particularly exposed sites), which gives wildlife winter protection, and it grows well in shade, even dense shade.  On top of that, it has a tendency to root where it’s stems touch the ground, so it bulks up to form a thicket, has white flowers (pungent!) in summer and shiny black berries which are very bitter but are still popular with birds. 

Wild privet responds well to trimming to provide a thick, semi-evergreen, hedge that provides good game cover in a woodland setting.

Soil and Situation

Wild Privet grows throughout lowland Britain, on any soils other than waterlogged soil, and does particularly well on chalk, lighter soils with some moisture. It has a vigorous and fibrous root system that grows well in its ideal soils but will tolerate dry, poor conditions, pollution, salty and windswept sites. It grows well in full sun, partial shade and deeper shade.

Leaves, flowers and fruit

The leaves are like the suburban Common privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium which originates from Japan) but longer and narrower, oval, dark green, and quite shiny, held opposite each other on pale brown shoots. The leaves are the main food stuff for the privet hawk moth.  Flowers are creamy white held in large clusters and very pungent.  Fruits are small black berries, popular with thrushes and other birds but extremely poisonous to humans and livestock.

The bark is smooth, light brown on young shoots, becoming darker and duller with age.

Please note – although this plant is described as “virtually evergreen” it does defoliate when lifted from our fields so is likely to be delivered without leaves.

Eventual height

Ligustrum vulgare would grow to about 6m if left unpruned.

Oleaceae family.