Chinese privet: Ligustrum sinense (Scrophulariales: Oleaceae): Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States

Chinese privet	USDA PLANTS Symbol: LISI U.S. Nativity: Exotic Habit: Shrub or Subshrub Hardwood Trees
Ligustrum sinense Lour.

Jump to: Resources | Images | Distribution Maps | Sources

Taxonomic Rank: Magnoliopsida: Scrophulariales: Oleaceae
Synonym(s): common chinese privet, common privet
Native Range: China (REHD, BAIL);
Appearance Ligustrum sinense is a semi-evergreen shrub or small tree that grows to 20 ft. (6.1 m) in height. Trunks usually occur as multiple stems with many long, leafy branches. Foliage Leaves are opposite, oblong, 1-2.4 in. (2.5-6 cm) long, and 0.2-0.6 in. (0.5-1.5 cm) wide. Foliage can be pubescent along the underside of the midvein. Flowers Flowering occurs from April to June, when panicles of white to cream flowers develop in terminal and upper axillary clusters. Pollen can cause an allergic reaction in some people. Fruit The abundant fruits are spherical and 0.3-0.5 in. (1-1.3 cm) long. Fruit begins green, ripens to dark purple to black, and persists into winter. Birds and other wildlife eat the fruit and disperse the seeds. Seed soil viability is about one year. The plant also colonizes by root sprouts. Ecological Threat Several privet species occur, and distinguishing among them can be difficult. Ligustrum sinense can tolerate a wide range of conditions. Plants form dense thickets, invading fields, fencerows, roadsides, forest understories, and riparian sites. They can shade out and exclude native understory species, perhaps even reducing tree recruitment. Native to Europe and Asia, Ligustrum sinense was introduced in the United States in 1852 as an ornamental plant. It is commonly used as an ornamental shrub and for hedgerows.

Identification, Biology, Control and Management Resources

A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests - USDA Forest Service
Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual - SE-EPPC
Images, Video and Information - University of Florida - Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants
Element Stewardship Abstract - The Nature Conservancy
Fire Effects Information System - USDA Forest Service
Invasive Species Management Plans for Florida - University of Florida - Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants
Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas - National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Selected Images from Invasive.org

View All Images at Invasive.org

Flower(s); Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage	Fruit(s); January James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage	Flower(s); in May James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage	Fruit(s); Charles T. Bryson, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Fruit(s); January. Photo from Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses by J.H. Miller and K.V. Miller, published by The University of Georgia Press in cooperation with the Southern Weed Science Society. James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage	Infestation; Chris Evans, University of Illinois, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage	Control; Area after privet removed with gyro-trac Scott Horn, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage	Infestation; John D. Byrd, Mississippi State University, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Foliage; May; in flower James H. Miller & Ted Bodner, Southern Weed Science Society, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage	Seedling(s); September James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage	Infestation; April James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage	Fruit(s); Far from choice wildlife food, but eventually winter-hungry birds will eat the fruit and spread the plant like cancer, wherever land is disturbed. James R. Allison, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Fruit(s); Ronald F. Billings, Texas A&M Forest Service , Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage	Foliage; Troy Evans, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage	Infestation; Chuck Bargeron, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage	Infestation; David J. Moorhead, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Infestation; David J. Moorhead, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage	Control; Privet removal with gyro-trac Scott Horn, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage	Seed(s); USDA NRCS PLANTS Database , USDA NRCS PLANTS Database, Bugwood.org Additional Resolutions & Image Usage

EDDMapS Distribution:
This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts and records obtained from USDA Plants Database. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org