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European Privet

Ligustrum vulgare

Other Common Names

None for this invasive

Plant Category

Shrub

Invasive Description

European Privet is native to central and southern Europe, north Africa and southwestern Asia. It is a deciduous, shade-tolerant shrub up to 15 ft. tall. The trunks usually occur as multiple stems with many long, leafy branches. White flowers develop at the end of branches in 1-3 in. long clusters in June. Fruits are spherical, 1/3 in., ripen to a dark purple to black, and persist into winter. European Privet belongs to the group of privets with smaller leaves (under 3 inches), which distinguishes it from Glossy Privet (Ligustrum lucidum), for example.

Ecological Threat

European Privet was introduced to the United States in the early to mid-1800s. The shrub is an aggressive and troublesome invasive. It displaces native plants by forming dense thickets, particularly in bottom-land forests and along fencerows, by colonizing via root sprouts, and by spreading widely via bird- and animal-dispersed seeds.

How to Eradicate

For information on how to eradicate this invasive, view our statement on herbicide use and preferred alternatives for invasive plants.

Native Alternatives

You can replace this invasive plant with native alternatives. Here are some plants that make superior replacements.

Match your location on the Texas map to the color squares on the replacement plants below to find suitable replacements for your ecoregion.

Click for more details about the ecoregions