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Privet

Ligustrum spp.

Privet is a vegetable in the Oleaceae family. It grows best in full sun to part shade with medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 5-8.

Varieties

1 · sorted by days to maturity
  • Privet

    PROPAGATION CATEGORY: Hedge shrub (cuttings) (not in original seed catalog). Use: Fast, cheap clipped hedge. Note: Invasive in many regions; berries toxic if eaten.

    Privet (Ligustrum) is a fast, inexpensive, easily sheared hedging shrub, semi-evergreen in mild climates; widely naturalized and invasive in many areas, so plant with caution.

    Growing notes: Botanical name: Ligustrum spp.|Hardiness zones: 5-8|Propagation: cutting|Light: Full sun to part shade|Water: Medium|Mature size: 4-15 feet

Family
Oleaceae
Category
Vegetable
Form
Shrub
Lifecycle
perennial
Zone
5-8
Height
4–15 ft
Spread
4–12 ft
Sun
Full sun to part shade
Water
Medium

Plan your privet planting

Add privet to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.

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At a glance

Frost tolerance
Hardy · to ~-20°F
Lowest temperature the foliage usually survives

Storing & preserving

Most keep best refrigerated; storage crops prefer a cool, dry spot.

  • Freeze: Blanch briefly, cool, then freeze — keeps color and texture.
  • Can: Pressure-can low-acid vegetables; water-bath only pickled/acidified ones.

General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.

Growing timeline

Propagation
Cutting
Schedule anchor
Last Frost

Care & troubleshooting

No curated care & troubleshooting advice for privet yet. Our extension-sourced library currently focuses on common edible crops; we're expanding it over time.