Ligustrum ovalifolium Argenteum - Garden Privet

Ligustrum ovalifolium 'Argenteum' is a variety of California privet with variegated cream and green foliage, perfect for bringing light to partially shaded areas of the garden. This evergreen shrub retains its leaves in winter depending on the climate, making it ideal for creating a bright and dense screen that is ornamental for most of the year with its foliage, summer flowering in white panicles, and beautiful autumn fruiting with small black berries that persist until late in the season. With no specific requirements, hardy and adaptable, it will fully play its role in a trimmed hedge, or mixed with other species in an informal hedge.

Ligustrum ovalifolium 'Argenteum' is a variegated mutation of Ligustrum ovalifolium, native to Japan and Korea, not California. It belongs to the Oleaceae family, just like lilacs and forsythia. It is a bushy and dense shrub with a naturally erect habit, supported by long upright and branching stems. This fairly fast-growing variety reaches a height of about 3m (10ft) and a width of 2m (7ft) at maturity. Its foliage is evergreen in mild climates and semi-evergreen elsewhere. It consists of glossy, narrow and ovate, lanceolate leaves, with green margins variegated with white cream, measuring between 3 and 7cm (1 and 3in) in length and appearing early in the season. In June-July, small, highly fragrant and nectar-rich cream-white flowers appear in panicles measuring 5 to 10cm (2 to 4in). They give way in autumn to small spherical black berries, which will persist for part of the winter. The leaves, flowers, and fruits of the privet are toxic to humans and animals if ingested.

Ornamental with its dense, silvery foliage, it can create privacy hedges and windbreaks. It is easy to shape it as desired. It will have a beautiful effect when combined with other trimmed or untrimmed shrubs, playing with the shape and colour of the foliage, in a rustic or more contemporary setting. It also lends itself well to planting in groups, or wild hedges.

It can be planted with other shrubs (purple barberry, photinia, eleagnus, lilac, Japanese kerria, white spirea) in a flowering wild hedge. Enjoy its beautiful foliage and pleasant flowering by letting it grow freely.

Privet roots may hinder the growth of certain perennial plants planted at its base. Precautionary measure should be taken to ensure a sufficient planting distance around it.

It should be noted that this shrub has a very high tolerance to pollution, which makes it valuable in urban gardens.

Properties:

With its highly scented and pollen-rich flowers, this privet contributes to the preservation of bees. Its pollen can be allergenic for some sensitive individuals.