Ligustrum vulgare - Common privet

Family: Oleaceae (Olive family) ^[E-flora]

• Other Names: (European privet) ^[E-flora]

"Ligustrum vulgare is an evergreen Shrub growing to 3 m (9ft) by 3 m (9ft) at a medium rate.
It is hardy to zone (UK) 4 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from Jun to July, and the seeds ripen from Sep to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.It is noted for attracting wildlife.[PFAF]
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.
It can tolerate atmospheric pollution." [PFAF]

General: "Deciduous shrub up to 5 m tall; branches many, grey-barked, glabrous or sparsely hairy." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
Leaves: "Opposite, persistent, firm, dark-green, oblong to egg-shaped, 3-6 cm long, short-stalked, entire." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
Flowers: "Inflorescence of small, bell-shaped flowers in dense terminal panicles 3-6 cm long; corollas white or pale-purple, the tubes 2.5-3 mm long, about equal to the lobes." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}
Fruits: "Drupes, 2-lobed, 1-2 seeded, black and hard." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

Habitat / Range
"Mesic to dry waste places, roadsides and disturbed areas in the lowland zone; infrequent on SE Vancouver Island and rare in the lower mainland; introduced from Europe." ^{[IFBC-E-flora]}

Origin Status: Exotic ^[E-flora]

Hazards

"Poisonous[10], though the toxicity is of a very low order and normally the consumption of the fruit leads to vomiting or no symptoms at all[65]." ^[PFAF]

• Symptoms develop shortly after ingestion and include abdominal tenderness, diarrhea, GI irritation, nausea, vomiting. ^[PTH]
  
• Treatment: Emesis/lavage usually not necessary due to vomiting which commonly occurs when the plant is ingested. Replace fluid/electrolyte losses. ^[PTH]
  
• Additional Information Toxin: Ligon glycosides, saponins, and secoiridoid bitter agents; gastroenteritis may last for 2-3 days; a small deciduous shrub with lanceolated leaves found in eastern U.S. ^[PTH]

Other Uses

• Dye:" A yellow dye is obtained from the leaves[6], from the bark according to other reports[46, 61]. A bluish-green dye is obtained from the berries[6, 46, 61], it is more permanent than most greens[115]. A black dye can also be obtained from the fruit[61] as well as an ink[46, 61]. "^[PFAF] "These berries give a bluish-green dye with alum, and the leaves will give a yellow colour (Coates) with alum, or with chrome a light brown, and a dark brown with copperas (Jenkins), green with copper sulphate, and dark green with iron (S M Robertson)." [DPL Watts]
• Wood - "...hard, close-grained. It is valuable for turning if it reaches sufficient size[115] and can also be used to make small tools[46, 61]." ^[PFAF]
  
• Charcoal: "The wood is a source of charcoal[46, 61]." ^[PFAF]
  
• Twigs: "The young twigs are used in basketry and hurdle making[46, 61, 100]." ^[PFAF]

Medicinal Uses

Berries are a strong laxative, and the leaves and flowers are used to treat menstrual disorders. Studies have shown that a combination of privet and astragalus may be an immunostimulant.[PDBHM]

• Plant
• Internal Use:" Internal use of this plant should be avoided since it can produce allergic symptoms[7]." ^[PFAF]
  
• External Use: "Externally it is a safe and effective treatment[7]." ^[PFAF]
  
• Leaves: "The leaves are astringent, bitter, detergent, vulnerary[7, 21]." ^[PFAF]
  
• Bark: "The bark has been used as a stomachic[7], though this is not really recommended." ^[PFAF]

Lore

• "Privet flowers belong to the large group that bring misfortune if brought indoors (Vickery. 1995), and another superstition once current was that diphtheria could be caught from privet leaves (Vickery. 1985), probably invented as a warning to children not to touch, or eat the poisonous berries." [DPL Watts]
• "An early 17th century auburn hair-dye had as its principal constituents radish and hedge-privet (Wykes-Joyce)." [DPL Watts]
  
• "To cure sore lips one is advised to chew privet leaves and let the juice flow over the sore lip (Vickery. 1995)." [DPL Watts]
• "A cure for mumps is to boil privet berries till the juice is out of them, and tip the juice into a small bottle with cream from the top of the milk. When it has been cool for at least three hours, take a teasponful of the juice and one berry, once daily and after food (Vickery. 1995)." [DPL Watts]
• "A French charm for thrush in infants was to put a piece of privet in flower over the chimney piece. When this dries up, the child’s thrush will also have dried (Loux)." [DPL Watts]
• "A decoction of the berries of Ligustrum vulgare, which contain a potentially dangerous glycoside, has been recorded in more recent years as a home remedy for mumps in Wiltshire.89" [MPFT]
  
• "In unspecified parts of Ireland, though, a similar decoction is said to have enjoyed great popularity for earache, while an infusion has been drunk for sore throats.90 In Kildare, on the other hand, anyone following advice to chew the leaves to heal a sore lip has been carefully warned against swallowing the juice.91" [MPFT]

Cultivation
"A very tolerant and easily grown plant, it succeeds in any soil that is not very impoverished[11]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a calcareous soil and succeeds in thin dry soils[186]. Grows well in light woodland or the full shade of a wall but flowers and fruits best in a sunny position[186]. Tolerant of atmospheric pollution, once established they also tolerate drought but are intolerant of water-logging[186]. A suckering shrub, forming dense thickets and making good bird cover[186]. An important food plant for many caterpillars, including the larvae of the privet hawk moth[186]. This species is notably susceptible to honey fungus[200]." [PFAF]

Propagation
"Sow the seed in spring in a cold frame. Stored seed germinates better if it is stratified,[113]. Remove any fruit flesh from around the seed before it is sown since this can inhibit germination[113]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. The seed can also be sown in outdoor seed beds in the autumn. You can leave the plants to grow on in the seedbed for up to 4 years before planting them out into their permanent positions in the winter. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Very easy[78]. Cuttings of mature wood, 20 - 30cm in a sheltered outdoor bed in November/December[78]. The cuttings can also be placed in situ if required. High percentage[78]." [PFAF]

LIGUSTRUM - PRIVET

Oleaceae - Olive Family ^[E-flora]
Shrub, small tree, generally evergreen [deciduous], generally glabrous [hairy]. Leaf: simple, opposite, blade >> petiole, entire, thick. Inflorescence: terminal panicle, axes ± puberulent or not. Flower: bisexual; calyx minute, bell-shaped, 4-toothed, deciduous; corolla funnel-shaped or salverform, 4-lobed, white; stamens 2. Fruit: generally berry-like drupe, ± 8–10 mm wide, generally purple-black. Seed: 1–4.
± 45 species: eastern Asia, Malaysia to Australia, Europe, northern Africa; many cultivated for ornamental leaves. (Classical name of Ligustrum vulgare L.) ^[Jepson]

Local Species;

1. Ligustrum vulgare - common privet ^[E-flora]

Privet - Ligustrum spp.

• Fruits of the common privet hedge are black drupes 1/3 to 1/2 inch long. Each contains several seeds. [NSSH Bubel]
• When to Plant: Plant immediately or after a period of stratification.[NSSH Bubel]
• Breaking Dormancy: Extracted seeds that have not been allowed to dry should germinate well without stratifying. Stored dry seeds need two to three months of stratification at 400F (40C).[NSSH Bubel]

Hazards

Ligustrum Species (Ligustrum japonicum, lucidum, vulgare);

• Toxic Part: "The whole plant, including the berries, is toxic." ^{[HPIP Shih]}
  
• Toxin: "Syringin (ligustrin), an irritant glycoside." ^{[HPIP Shih]}
  
• Clinical Findings: "Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, and diarrhea may occur. There are no reported cases of poisoning in humans. In ruminants, neurotoxicity (unsteady gait, weakness) is reported to occur." ^{[HPIP Shih]}
  
• Management: "If severe gastrointestinal symptoms occur, intravenous hydration, antiemetics, and electrolyte replacement may be necessary, particularly in children. Consultation with a Poison Control Center should be considered. See “Poisoning by Plants with Gastrointestinal Toxins,” p. 28. ^{[HPIP Shih]}

Uses of Related Sp
Ligustrum
AKA: Ligustrum lucidium. Effects: Its medicinal qualities are said to be similar to astragalus; it contains two potentially immune-regulating ingredients, syringin and a terpene compound. In China, it has been used to treat fatigue and prevent aging, in addition to being prescribed for infections, heart disease, body aches, dizziness, and tinnitus.
Dosage: From 6 to 15 g/day of a decoction made from the berries [Source Needed]

References

• [E-flora] http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Ligustrum%20vulgare [Accessed: 1/17/2015]
• [Jepson]Thomas J. Rosatti, 2013. Ligustrum, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=9750, accessed on Jan 17 2015
• [PFAF]http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ligustrum+vulgare, Accessed Jan 17, 2015

Image References

• 1, Ligustrum vulgare, Andrew Butko, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
• 2, Ligustrum vulgare, Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
• 3, Ligustrum vulgare, Pleple2000, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons