| Ligustrum sinense | |
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Chinese Privet
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| Origin Of Species | |
| China | |
| Physical Description | |
| Chinese privet is a semi-deciduous shrub, which can reach twelve feet in height. The leaves are opposite and take on an oval or elliptical shape. On the underside of the normally two-inch long leaves are tiny hairs. Small, four-petal flowers grow at the ends of branches between April and June. Fruits of Chinese privet are very small, green, and fleshy and appear between October and February, hanging in dense clusters that eventually turn a dark blue. | |
| Habitat And Distribution | |
| Chinese privet thrives in damp habitats and is thus usually found in low woods, bottomlands, and stream banks. It characteristically inhabits disturbed sites. It is located primarily in the southeastern United States, predominately North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, and Kentucky. | |
| Location On Campus | |
| Chinese privet is intentionally cultivated as hedge along Westhampton Way at the Greek Theater and behind South Court. It is spreading abundantly and is expected to be in any woodland area on campus. | |
| Negative Impacts | |
| Chinese privet is most often cultivated as an ornamental hedge but can spread and dominate habitats with its thick canopy, shading out other plants. | |
| VDCR Invasiveness Ranking | |
| Highly Invasive Species Additional Images: Branches |
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