Ligustrum japonicum - Japanese Privet
Karen Patterson
Higher Taxa of Ligustrum japonicum:

Class:Angiosperms
Order:Loganiales
Family: Oleaceae
Subfamily:Oleoideae
Genus: Ligustrum

Ligustrum japonicum is a fast growing evergreen shurb or small tree that is dense and upright growing, with trunks often inclined and clumped (Vines, 1960). The leaves are evergreen, opposite, 2-4.5 inches long, and oval or elliptic to oblong (Vines, 1960). The average size of the shrub is 10-12 inches high and wide (Hines Nurseries). In the spring this shrub has fragrant creamy white flower clusters (Odenwald, 1996). The fruit is bluish black with seeds that are brown to black and somewhat rounded (Vines, 1960). The authority who described this species of Ligustrum was Carl Peter Thunberg. It was described in August of 1784 in Flora Japonica(Stafleu, 1986). In 1785 Thunberg donated all of his collection to Uppsala University (Stafleu, 1986). After 1785 he began giving his material to the "Thunberg Herbarium" (Stafleu, 1986).

Ligustrum japonicum

AREA STATUS REFERENCES
North America:
Continental United States; Canada
No information, but probably no Karen Patterson
Eastern North America:
United States east of Mississippi;
Ontario and eastern Canada
No information, but probably noKaren Patterson
Southeastern United States:
AL AR DE DC FL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV
YesRadford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968
Southern Appalachian States:
AL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV
YesRadford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968
Coastal PlainYesRadford, Ahles & Bell, 1968;
PiedmontYesRadford, Ahles & Bell, 1968;
Blue Ridge MountainsNo information, but probably yesKaren Patterson
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
No information, but probably noKaren Patterson
Ridge and ValleyNo information, but probably yesKaren Patterson
Cumberland PlateauNo information, but probably yesKaren Patterson
Central Arch?
GeorgiaYesFoote, 1989
Clarke County, GeorgiaYesUGA Herbarium Specimens
Sams FarmNoKaren Patterson, Pers. Ob.
Old Field
NoKaren Patterson, Pers. Ob.
Wetland
?-
Woods
NoKaren Patterson, Pers. Ob.
1-Hectare Plot
NoKaren Patterson, Pers. Ob.




Natural History: I was unable to find any information on the history of this species of the genus Ligustrum.


How to Encounter: Ligustrum japonicum can be found in several places, such as the piedmont, coastal plain, the Southern Appalachian states, and the Southeastern United States (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968). You can also find L. japonicum at most any local nursery, as many people plant the shrub for hedging.

References: The American Horticulture Society Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Macmillan Publishing Company. New York. 1989.

Clewell, Andre F. Guide to the Vascular Plants of the Florida Panhandle. Florida State University Press. Tallahassee, Fl. 1985.

Foote, Leonard E. Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast. Timber Press. Portland, Oregon. 1989.

Gault, Millar S. The Color Dictionary of Shrubs. Crown Publishers, INC. New York. 1976.

Hay, Roy and Patrick Synge. The Color Dictionary of Flowers and Plants for Home and Garden. Crown Publishers INC. New York.1969.

Hillier, Harold. The Hillier Colour Dictionary of Trees and Shrubs. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company. New York.1982.

Index Kewensis. Volume 2. The Clarendon Press. Oxford, England. 1960.

Lawrence, George. Taxonomy of Vascular Plants. The Macmillan Company. New York. 1951.

Odenwald, Neil G. Plants for American Landscapes. Louisiana State University Press. Baton Rouge. 1996.

The Oxford Encyclopedia of Trees of the World. Oxford University Press. Oxford, England. 1981.

Radford, Ahles, and Bell. Manual of the Vascular Floras of the Carolinas. University of North Carolina Press. Chapel Hill, N.C. 1968.

Stafleu, F.A. and Cowen R.S. Taxonomic Literature. Second Edition. Volume III. Bohn, Scheltema, and Holkema, Utrecht dr. W. Junk b.v., Publishers. Boston, MA. 1981.

Vines, Robert A. Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southwest. University of Texas Press. Austin, TX. 1960.

Wright, Michael. The Complete Handbook of Garden Plants. The Rainbird Publishing Group Limited. New York. 1984.