PLANT
The Ligustrum ovalifolium ‘Aureum’, commonly known as Golden privet o Variegated oval-leaved privet, is a a semi-evergreen ornamental shrub much favoured for creating dense, bright hedges. Belonging to the family of Oleaceae and, native to East Asia, it is clearly distinguishable from the type species by its characteristic two-coloured foliage.
Key Features
- Spectacular foliage: The leaves are oval, glossy and leathery, with a bright green centre and broad margins golden yellow. In climates with mild winters, the plant retains its foliage all year round, whilst it tends to lose some or all of it in the event of severe frosts.
- Size and growth: It has an upright, bushy and very dense growth habit. If left to grow freely, it can reach a height of 3–4 metres and a width of approximately 1.5–2 metres. It grows at a medium to fast rate, reaching a height of approximately 20–40 cm a year (slightly less vigorous than the entirely green privet).
- Flowering and fruit: In early summer (June–July), it produces small cream-coloured flowers clustered in fragrant panicles, which are very popular with pollinators. In autumn, small, round, glossy black berries appear; these add a decorative touch to the garden and are loved by birds, but toxic to humans and pets if swallowed.
Growing and Care Requirements
The golden privet is an extremely rustic, versatile and durable, which is also ideal for urban gardens thanks to its excellent tolerance to air pollution.
- Exhibition: It tolerates both full sun and partial shade well. However, to achieve intense, brilliant golden variegation, it is advisable to plant it in full sun; in areas that are too shady, the leaves will tend to turn a greener shade.
- Soil: It adapts to any type of garden soil (including chalky or clayey soils), provided it is well-drained. It does not tolerate prolonged waterlogging.
- Temperature: It is very cold-hardy, withstanding temperatures as low as -15 °C.
- Pruning: It copes very well with drastic and repeated pruning. To maintain a neat, formal hedge, it is advisable to prune it once or twice a year (in spring and late summer). Note: Frequent pruning limits flowering, preventing the formation of berries.
Use in the Garden
It’s one of the best choices for creating medium-to-tall ornamental hedges, as visual screens or windbreaks, offering excellent foliage density and a striking colour contrast to traditional greenery. It is also planted as a solitary specimen, grown as a half-standard tree in a pot, or used to stabilise sloping ground thanks to its robust and branched root system. For planting a dense hedge, a density of approximately 3–4 plants per linear metre.
GOLDEN PRIVET Ligustrum ovalifolium aureum
pot 18 cm – plant height 80–100 cm
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