Ligustrum ovalifoliumCalifornia Privet

For sheer tolerance of the shears, little beats Ligustrum ovalifolium. It is the hedge privet of temperate gardens, Japanese in origin, dense to the base, quick to knit, and willing to be cut back into old wood and rebuilt from scratch.

Its second virtue is exposure. It holds up in coastal wind and salt spray where most formal hedging burns, which is why it remains the default seaside hedge across much of northern Europe.

Specifications

• Height3 to 5 metres unpruned, or maintained at 1 to 2 metres as a clipped hedge
• Width2 to 3 metres
• Native toJapan
• FoliageGlossy, oval, mid-green leaves in opposite pairs; evergreen in mild climates and semi-deciduous through cold winters
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilTolerates almost any soil, including chalk, clay and poor urban ground
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterLow to moderate; drought-tolerant once established
• ClimateThrives in temperate, Mediterranean and warm temperate regions

Additional Features

• FlowersPanicles of small white flowers in early summer, strongly and not universally pleasantly scented
• UsesFormal and informal hedging, screening, topiary, urban boundary planting and coastal shelter
• SpacingPlant 0.4 to 0.5 metres apart in a single row for a hedge
• Low MaintenanceClip two or three times through the growing season; recovers fully from hard renovation
• Pest ResistanceGenerally robust, with occasional privet thrips and scale
• Salt ToleranceWithstands coastal wind and salt spray and is long proven as a seaside hedge
• Drought ToleranceEstablished hedges hold condition through dry spells
• ToxicityThe black berries are toxic if eaten, and privet flowers are a recognised pollen allergen

California Privet is the workhorse formal hedge, and the one to reach for when the site is exposed and the budget is not generous.