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

Family: Oleaceae (Olive Family)

Synonym(s): Ligustrum villosum

Duration: Perennial

Habit: Shrub

Listed by:
Invasive Plant Atlas of the US: 1
Federal Noxious Weed: 0
TDA Noxious Weed: 0
TPWD Prohibited Exotic Species: 0

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.

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

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

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.

US 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

US Nativity: Introduced to U.S.

Native Origin: China

US States: AL, AR, CT, FL, GA, KY, LA, MA, MD, MO, MS, NC, NJ, OK, PR, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA

Resembles/Alternatives:

• Morella cerifera (wax myrtle)
  
• Ilex vomitoria (yaupon)
  
• Prunus caroliniana (Carolina laurelcherry)
  
• Rhus virens (evergreen sumac)
  
• Leucophyllum frutescens (Texas barometer bush)
• Malpighia glabra (wild crapemyrtle)

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.

Listing Source

Texas Department ofAgriculture Noxious Plant List
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Prohibited Exotic Species
Invaders Program
Federal Noxious Weed
Union of Concerned Scientists
United States Forest Service Southern Research Station

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.

Data Source

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