Common Name: Amur privet
Type: Deciduous shrub
Family: Oleaceae
Native Range: Northern China
Zone: 3 to 7
Height: 12.00 to 15.00 feet
Spread: 8.00 to 15.00 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Description: Creamy white
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Medium
Suggested Use: Hedge, Naturalize
Flower: Showy, Fragrant
Attracts: Butterflies
Fruit: Showy
Tolerate: Drought
Culture
Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Tolerant of a wide range of soils, except wet ones. Tolerant of urban conditions. Responds well to pruning. Specimen plants actually require little pruning and should be pruned as needed in spring after flowering. Hedges may be pruned in spring before flowering (if flowers are not a concern) and at 1-2 additional times during the summer to shape and to encourage dense branching. Plants will naturalize by self-seeding in optimum growing conditions, and may form thickets in areas where growth is not controlled.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Ligustrum amurense, commonly called Amur privet, is native to northern China. It is a dense, erect, multi-stemmed, fast-growing, deciduous shrub (semi-evergreen in mild winter areas) that typically matures to 12-15’ tall. Elliptic to oblong leaves (to 2.5” long) are generally dull green above with hair on the underside midribs. Creamy white flowers in panicles (to 2” long) bloom in May-June. Flowers can be somewhat interesting on specimen shrubs, but may be sheared off or are simply not effective in appearance on pruned hedges. Flowers have an unpleasant aroma. Flowers give way to oval black drupes which ripen in fall. This shrub is commonly grown in northern areas as a hedge, but is infrequently planted in southern states.
Genus name comes from the Latin word for privet.
Specific epithet means from the Amur River in eastern Asia.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems. Susceptible to a large number of potential disease problems, including anthracnose, crown gall, twig blight, leaf spots, powdery mildew, cankers and root rots. Aphids, leaf miners, scale, thrips, mealybugs, whitefly, nematodes, Japanese beetles, weevils and mites may appear.
Uses
Hedges and screens. Specimen. Shrub border. Excellent winter hardiness.