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Federal Noxious Weed
TDA Noxious Weed
TPWD Prohibited Exotic Species
Invasive Plant Atlas of the US

NOTE: means species is on that list.

Ligustrum sinense


Chinese privet

Synonym(s): Ligustrum villosum
Family: Oleaceae (Olive Family)
Duration and Habit: Perennial Shrub

Additional Images

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Photographer: James R. Allison
Source: Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Bugwood.org

Description

Evergreen shrub with spreading branches. An escape from cultivation, found near streams and in old fencerows. Young twigs covered with fine hairs visible under a l0x hand lens. Leaves opposite, with short petioles; blades up to 2 inches long, ovate to elliptic, usually rounded at the tip, sometimes with a small notch, tapering to the base, and with smooth margins. Flowers white, fragrant, about 3/8 inch wide, borne in narrow clusters up to 4 inches long, appearing from March to May. Fruit berrylike, bluish black, 1/4 inch long by 3/16 inch wide, in clusters that bend down the branchlets bearing them, and hanging on into winter.

Native Lookalikes: Currently no information available here yet, or there are no native Texas species that could be confused with Chinese privet.

Ecological Threat: Aggressive and troublesome invasives, often forming dense thickets, particularly in bottom-land forests and along fencerows, thus gaining access to forests, fields, and right-of-ways.

Biology & Spread: Colonize by root sprouts and spread widely by abundant bird- and other animal-dispersed seeds.

History: Chinese privet was introduced into the United States in the early 1852 as an ornamental.

U.S. Habitat: Aggressive and troublesome invasives, often forming dense thickets, particularly in bottom-land forests and along fencerows, thus gaining access to forests, fields, and right-of-ways. Shade tolerant. Colonize by root sprouts and spread widely by abundant bird- and other animal-dispersed seeds.

Distribution

U.S. Nativity: Introduced to U.S.

Native Origin: China

U.S. Present: AL, AR, CT, FL, GA, KY, LA, MA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OK, PR, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA

Distribution in Texas: Chinese and Japanese privet are found in the Southeast and Midwest.

Mapping

Invaders of Texas Map: Ligustrum sinense
EDDMapS: Ligustrum sinense
USDA Plants Texas County Map: Ligustrum sinense

Invaders of Texas Observations

List All Observations of Ligustrum sinense reported by Citizen Scientists

Native Alternatives

Other alternatives include inkberry (Ilex glabra), spicebush (Lindera benzoin), blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium), red or black chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia or melanocarpa)

Management

Chemical: Foliar application with one of the following herbicides in water with a surfactant (August to December):
Glyphosate herbicide as a 3-percent solution (12 ounces per 3-gallon mix)
Arsenal AC* as a 1-percent solution (4 ounces per 3-gallon mix).
For stems too tall for foliar sprays, apply Garlon 4 as a 20-percent solution in commercially available basal oil, diesel fuel, or kerosene (2.5 quarts per 3-gallon mix) with a penetrant (check with herbicide distributor) to young bark as a basal spray.
Cut Stump approach: Cut large stems and immediately treat the stumps with Arsenal AC* or Velpar L* as a 10-percent solution in water (1 quart per 3-gallon mix) with a surfactant. When safety to surrounding vegetation is desired, immediately treat stumps and cut stems with Garlon 3A or a glyphosate herbicide as a 20-percent solution in water (2.5 quarts per 3-gallon mix) with a surfactant.

USE PESTICIDES WISELY: ALWAYS READ THE ENTIRE PESTICIDE LABEL CAREFULLY, FOLLOW ALL MIXING AND APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS AND WEAR ALL RECOMMENDED PERSONAL PROTECTIVE GEAR AND CLOTHING. CONTACT YOUR STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL PESTICIDE USE REQUIREMENTS, RESTRICTIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS. MENTION OF PESTICIDE PRODUCTS ON THIS WEB SITE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE ENDORSEMENT OF ANY MATERIAL.

Text References

Bailey, L.H. and E.Z. Bailey. 1977. Hortus Third: A Concise Dictionary of Plants Cultivated in the United States and Canada, MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc., New York.

Miller, James H. 2003. Nonnative invasive plants of southern forests: a field guide for identification and control. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-62. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 93 p. Alfred Rehder. 1967. Manual of Cultivated Trees and Shrubs: Hardy in North America, The MacMillan Co., New York.

Swearingen, J., K. Reshetiloff, B. Slattery, and S. Zwicker. 2002. Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas. National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 82 pp.

Online Resources

Search Online

Google Search: Ligustrum sinense
Google Images: Ligustrum sinense
NatureServe Explorer: Ligustrum sinense
USDA Plants: Ligustrum sinense
Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States: Ligustrum sinense
Bugwood Network Images: Ligustrum sinense

Last Updated: 2024-02-08 by AMRO, TISI
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