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Ligustrum japonicum
Japanese Privet
Wax-leaf Ligustrum
Not native to Florida
An eastern Asia native that can be found in disturbed sites of the central and eastern panhandle and a few scattered counties in the peninsula. Also introduced throughout the southeastern United States west into Texas and north into Kentucky, Virginia and Maryland. Also now present in Puerto Rico.
Japanese privet is an evergreen shrub growing up to 6.1m (20ft.) tall that has been used as hedgerows and often escapes forming dense thickets in fields and forest understories shading and out-competing natives.
Leaves are opposite on stems with profuse small bumps. The leaves are coriaceous(leathery), ovate, mostly under 5.1cm (2 in.) long and often slightly revolute(margins rolled under). The small white flowers appear in clusters at the ends of the branches. The fruits are dark-purple to black berries 5mm (0.2 in.) in diameter.
Ligustrum japonicum is a member of the Oleaceae - Olive family.
Other species of the Ligustrum genus in the Wild Florida Photo database:
Ligustrum lucidum - GLOSSY PRIVET
Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants (Institute for Systemic Botany) profile for this species
USDA Plant Profile for this species
Date record last modified: Aug 14, 2022
