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| Ligustrum amurense
Amur privetCulture: The Amur privet is a very tough, adaptable and easy to grow species. It requires well-drained soils and full sun to part shade. With additional shade, the plant becomes very open and spindly. This species is also easy to transplant and fast growing. Because of its fine texture, tolerance of shearing and low cost, this species has become a popular hedge plant in northern climates. If sheared or unsheared plants get too large, they can be pruned to several inches above the ground and the plants will recover nicely assuming they were in reasonable health prior to pruning. Sheared hedges can be occasionally pruned to the ground and re-grown, shearing several times as they grow to force low dense branching. Hedges should always be wider at the base than at the top for best sunlight penetration to the lower branches, resulting in a hedge that stays dense at the base. Flint states that fertilizing too heavily or shearing too late in the season, increases the chances for winter injury. Although there is a long list of insects and diseases that prey upon this species, the plant is generally trouble-free. Some of the problems include aphids, scale, mites and root rots. Anthracnose twig blight is less of a problem on this species as compared to Ligustrum vulgare. Usage: Due to its lack of a major ornamental characteristic, this species is rarely grown for any purpose other than as a sheared hedge. |
