The golden foliage of Ligustrum sinense ?Sunshine? will brighten your spirits on even the darkest winter days. This versatile evergreen is densely covered with small oval leaves, which produce their best colour when grown in full sun.
Privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium) or Golden Privet is robust and very popular choice for topiary and hedging, and this golden form 'Aureum' is a colourful variation of the more usual green plants. Easy and reliable, privet is fairly quick growing and soon forms a decent hedge and will grow virtually anywhere from sun to shade. The glossy leaves are edged in golden-yellow and stay on the plants all year, except during periods of extreme heat or cold - so Aureum is a semi evergreen in nature although soon bounces back to lush growth in the spring, coming back bigger and bushier. When plants are allowed to grow untrimmed, they produce pretty creamy clusters of fragrant flowers in summer as an added bonus, which are attractive to butterflies and birds and these are followed by glossy black berries. The densely packed, small leaves mean that it is easily trimmed into shape so ideal for different shapes and sizes of hedge - trim it a couple of times during the summer to encourage the formation of a dense, formal garden hedge. The slim branches also mean that you can run over it with a pair of shears or light cutting equipment to get it into shape. Plus, if you leave your hedge and it gets out of hand, you can give it a good chop back and it quickly recovers. Privet will grow well virtually anywhere (although dislikes sitting in wet soil) and is suitable for coastal situations (although it may defoliate a bit in winter). Plants are resistant to pollution and so a really great choice for town gardens where other plants may not thrive so well. Supplied as 3 x established plants in 9cm pots, ready to plant out. For hedges plant 40cm (16') apart
Three main aspects we all look for when choosing plants are reliability, versatility and vigour, and this variety of common Privet provides just that, and more. Ligustrum vulgare ?Atrovirens? is frost hardy and can be trained to form a semi-evergreen hedge or used on its own as a free standing shrub. However you decide to grow it, the shiny green oval leaves are guaranteed to make a perfect dark backdrop for feature plants in the border. In midsummer small white flowers appear, followed by glossy black fruits in autumn. But best of all, no matter how harsh the weather might be, Ligustrum will continue to flourish to its fullest potential. Height and spread: 200cm (78?).
Grow it as a hedge or as a single plant in the border: Privet is a tidy evergreen, and very easy to grow. It has small oval leaves, and as a hedge it is easy to trim so that it always looks neat. Left untrimmed, it will stand alone as a feature in the border: the dark leaves a backdrop to clusters of creamy white flowers in summer, followed by black berries, attracting bees, butterflies and birds. Ligustrum ovalifolium is happy in sun or deep shade, tolerates drought and pollution, and is generally untroubled by pests and diseases. Height and spread: 3m (10').
It's fascinating that a plant found everywhere in the UK, usually as a formal hedge, actually makes a fantastic bonsai, and that's exactly what Ligustrum, or Privet is! Grown in a shallow plastic pot, this bonsai has been lovingly grown into an 'S' shape to show off its trunk and branches. Covered in glossy oval leaves, summer will see it produce tiny white scented flowers which are followed by small black fruits (which shouldn't be eaten). A great choice for beginners wanting to learn about the enchanting art of bonsai, or for those who want to add to their collection, Privet is a strong plant that takes well to bonsai styling techniques and produces a good thick trunk. Very fast growing, low maintenance, easy to prune and not too fussy about where it should be positioned, it's no surprise that this is an all-time favourite! As it's so vigorous, this is a hungry tree needing plenty of food and water. It's important not to let the shoots grown too long, as the tree will lose its 'miniature' appearance, so when shoots are 4cm long trim them back to the first pair of new leaves. Ligustrum, like all bonsai, has a symbolic meaning, and in this case it is peace and friendship, making it a beautifully thoughtful gift to somebody special. Quite a hardy bonsai, it can be kept outdoors for much of the year if you wish, and especially summer.
Easy to grow, the Golden Privet is a very pretty evergreen with bright gold oval leaves with a green centre. Ligustrum ovalifolium 'Aureum' makes a lovely plant in the border and if left untrimmed, it has clusters of white flowers in summer, followed by black berries in autumn, attracting birds, bees and butterflies. It's a perfect hedge plant too, with a dense form that makes it easy to trim and keep neat. It is fast growing and resistant to drought and has been awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Height and spread: Up to 4m (13').
Ligustrum, or 'Privet Laurel', is the absolute gold standard in topiary and standard form trees and shrubs. The exceptionally small and tight growing leaves create a dense network of stems, making for easy cutting and shaping. Ligustrum, in fact, form the basis of the most exotic and stunning topiary creations, yet also make wonderful standards, lollipops and globes too, as a better alternative to Box (Buxus). Very forgiving of all weathers, they may lose an odd leaf in coldest winters, but recover quickly in spring. Trim regularly in growing season, or allow them to grow a little and they will produce sweet scented cream flowers, followed by berries. Perfect in pairs aside doorways, gates and paths, or allow them to grow and get creative and make your own shapes too.