Delavay privet

Delavay privet: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Dense, branching evergreen shrub of about 2 m high and wide; easy to keep small with clipping.

Leaves

Small, oval to elliptic, 1–3 cm, leathery and glossy dark green, in opposite pairs.

Flowers

Small white flower panicles in June, often lost to regular clipping of a tight shape.

Fruit

Small blue-black berries in autumn; they are poisonous.

Roots

Finely branched and shallow to medium depth; moves well when young.

Flowering: June · Plants: April–May and September–October · Pruning: May, July and September

Why grow it?

• Evergreen, small leaves and a dense habit: perfect for balls, cones, low hedges and crisp shapes.
• A good alternative to box, since box tree moth does not eat it.
• Recovers quickly after clipping and can still be trimmed back when older.
• The white flowers in June provide nectar for bees and other insects.
• Grows in sun and half shade, in ordinary garden soil as well as in a large pot or planter.

Delavay privet: where does it grow best?

• Sun to half shade; in sun the habit stays denser, in deep shade it becomes thin.
• Ordinary, well-drained garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Normal moisture; it tolerates short dry spells once established, but not long periods of wet feet.
• Sheltered from cold east winds. Allow 1–2 m between plants, 40–50 cm for a low hedge.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

2 m tall, 2 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -15 °C)

Goes well with

• Lavender: Silver-grey foliage and purple flowers next to the crisp dark green.
• Hydrangea: Large summer flower heads in front of the green backdrop.
• Ornamental grasses: Loose, playful plumes that contrast with the tight shape.
• Hosta: Broad leaves at the foot in half shade.
• Peony: Soft flowers in May–June in front of an evergreen edge.

Delavay privet: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May and September–October.

1. Plant in April–May or in September–October, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the rootball and loosen the bottom.
3. Set the shrub at the same depth as in the pot, or slightly higher, and backfill with the soil mixed with a little compost.
4. For a low hedge or a row of balls: leave 40–50 cm between plants.
5. Water in generously straight away, even if it rains, and spread a mulch around the base.

Care

Water

In the first year water generously once a week in dry weather. Afterwards only in long droughts, and regularly in a pot.

Feeding

A handful of organic fertiliser or compost in March. Do not feed after July, so that the shoots can ripen.

Mulching

A layer of compost or bark in spring keeps the soil moist and suppresses weeds.

Clipping

Regular trimming keeps the ball or shape crisp; see the pruning section.

Pot culture

Use a pot with drainage holes and potting compost; water often in summer and feed in spring.

Tip: Mark out the shape at the start with a template or string, and clip little and often: the ball or cone then stays dense right down to the ground.

Delavay privet: when to prune it?

Pruning months: May, July and September.

When: Clip two to three times a year between May and September: a first time in May, a second in July and possibly once more in September.

How:

• Use sharp shears or secateurs and take off a little of the new growth each time.
• Keep the shape slightly wider at the base so the lower branches also get light.
• Do not clip in full sun on a hot day, as exposed leaves can scorch.
• To renew a neglected shrub, cut back in April to strong, healthy buds.

Caution: Do not clip after mid-September: late shoots do not ripen before winter and may be frosted.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings

In July–August take 10 cm semi-ripe cuttings, remove the lower leaves, and insert them in a pot of sand and potting compost under plastic. Roots form in a few weeks.

Seed

The berries can be sown, but it is slow and the seedlings do not always resemble the parent plant.

Delavay privet: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −15 °C: protect young plants.

• Hardy to about −15 °C. In severe winters it may lose leaves or turn brown; it often shoots again in May.
• Protect young plants and shrubs in an open position with a mulch and, if needed, horticultural fleece.
• In a pot: move it against a sheltered wall in frost and wrap the pot in hessian or bubble wrap.

Diseases and pests

• Winter damage: Brown or fallen leaves in spring after hard frost or drying wind. Wait until May to prune: many shrubs shoot again.
• Vine weevil: Half-moon notches along the leaf edge; the grubs eat the roots. Nematodes applied in spring or late August against the grubs are a biological control.
• Root rot: Yellow leaves and drooping shoots on heavy, wet soil. Provide drainage and avoid overwatering.
• Scale insects and aphids: Sticky leaves and small brown shields on the stems. Brush or rinse them off; ladybirds help.

Through the year

• March: Apply organic fertiliser or compost. Check for winter damage.
• April: Plant, and cut back old shrubs. Apply mulch.
• May: First clipping. Planting possible.
• June: White flowers. Water in dry weather.
• July: Second clipping. Water in heat and drought.
• August: Take semi-ripe cuttings. Nematodes against grubs can be applied.
• September: Possibly a last clipping, by mid-September at the latest. Plant.
• October: Plant. Mulch before winter.
• November: Protect young plants if severe frost is forecast.

Edible and useful

Not edible. Privet berries and leaves are poisonous: the blue-black berries cause vomiting, stomach ache and diarrhoea in children. They hang in clusters from autumn into winter, in a hedge often right at a child’s height. Pick them off or cut off the faded flower heads where children or pets play. Also poisonous to dogs, cats, horses and livestock: do not throw the clippings into a field, and wash your hands after trimming. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The species is named after Jean Marie Delavay, a French missionary who collected many plants in Yunnan in the 19th century.
• Privet belongs to the olive family (Oleaceae), like olive, ash, lilac and jasmine.
• Box tree moth caterpillars eat box, but privet is not their host plant, which is why this privet is used as an alternative.