Japanese privet

Japanese privet: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Dense, upright evergreen shrub or small tree, 3 m high and 2.5 m wide; strongly shaped when trained or on a stem.

Leaves

Large, oval, 6–12 cm, leathery and glossy dark green, in opposite pairs.

Flowers

Large white panicles of 10–20 cm in July–August, with a strong scent.

Fruit

Blue-black berries in autumn and winter; they are poisonous.

Roots

Fibrous and fairly shallow; moves well when young in good soil.

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

Why grow it?

• Evergreen with large, glossy leaves: a dense, rich green wall or hedge all year round.
• Fragrant white panicles in summer, when few shrubs flower; good for bees.
• Well suited as a trained tree, on a stem, as a screen or as a tall hedge for privacy.
• Tolerates clipping well, grows in sun or half shade and copes with dry summers.
• Also does well in a large pot or planter on the patio.

Japanese privet: where does it grow best?

• Sun to half shade; in sun it flowers more richly, in shade it stays green but flowers less.
• Ordinary, well-drained garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Normal to rather dry soil; it tolerates drought better than wet feet.
• Sheltered from cold, drying east winds. Allow 1.5–2.5 m of space, 60–80 cm for a hedge.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

3 m tall, 2.5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -15 °C)

Goes well with

• Hydrangea: Large flowers in front of a green wall.
• Lavender: Silver-grey foliage and purple flowers in the sun.
• Hosta: Broad leaves at the foot in half shade.
• Ornamental grasses: Light plumes in front of the crisp dark green.
• Anemone: Autumn flowers in front of the evergreen edge.

Japanese 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 plant at the same depth as in its pot or rootball, and backfill with the garden soil mixed with compost.
4. Give a trained tree or a plant on a stem a sturdy stake; for a hedge leave 60–80 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 dry spells, and regularly in a pot.

Feeding

Compost or organic fertiliser in March or April. Do not feed after July, so that the shoots can ripen.

Mulching

A layer of compost or bark in spring keeps the roots cool and suppresses weeds.

Training

A trained tree or stem needs shaping a few times a year; see the pruning section.

Pot culture

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

Tip: Trim in June and August to get a dense hedge or stem while keeping part of the bloom. The berries are poisonous: pick them off if children or pets play in the garden.

Japanese privet: when to prune it?

Pruning months: June and August.

When: Trim in June and in August. The flowers appear in July–August, so a lighter trim keeps part of the bloom.

How:

• Cut new shoots back each time to a few pairs of leaves, with sharp secateurs or shears.
• With such large leaves, prefer secateurs to an electric hedge trimmer so the leaves are not shredded.
• Remove dead, weak or crossing branches completely and keep the crown or hedge open enough for light.
• For a trained tree or a tree on a stem: remove shoots on the trunk and reshape the crown every year.

Caution: Do not prune hard after August: 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 10–15 cm semi-ripe cuttings, remove the lower leaves and shorten large leaves if needed, and insert in 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.

Japanese privet: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −15 °C: protect young plants.

• Hardy to about −15 °C, but when young or in an open spot the leaves can brown in hard frost or cold wind.
• Give young plants and trained trees a mulch and, if needed, horticultural fleece in severe frost.
• In a pot: move it against a sheltered wall or into an unheated room in frost and wrap the pot in hessian.

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 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 compost or organic fertiliser. Check for winter damage.
• April: Plant. Apply mulch.
• May: Plant. Do not prune hard too early.
• June: First trim. Water in dry weather.
• July: Flowers and scent. Water in heat.
• August: Second trim. Take semi-ripe cuttings.
• September: Plant. Berries appear.
• 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?

• Privet belongs to the olive family (Oleaceae), like olive, ash, lilac and jasmine.
• In warmer regions, such as the south-eastern United States, the species runs wild because birds eat the berries and spread the seeds.
• The leaves are leathery and glossy because of a thick waxy layer, which helps the plant cope with drought.