Broadleaf List

WILD PRIVET

Ligustrum vulgare

Olive Family [Oleaceae]

Flowers:

Berries:

(poisonous, over-wintering)

3rd July 2010, on low sea cliffs, north Arnside, Lancs.

Photo: © RWD

On a low limestone cliff over-looking Grange over Sands.

16th June 2009, Limestone Paving, Great Orme, N. Wales.

Photo: © RWD

Grows in scrub especially on lime.

16th June 2009, Limestone Paving, Great Orme, N. Wales.

Photo: © RWD

Leaves more elliptical than Garden Privet. Sometimes rounded at ends.

16th June 2009, Limestone Paving, Great Orme, N. Wales.

Photo: © RWD

A spike of flowers populates the end of a stalk, just like Garden Privet.

16th June 2009, Limestone Paving, Great Orme, N. Wales.

Photo: © RWD

Flowers white with four petals and with creamy bits inside.

16th June 2009, Limestone Paving, Great Orme, N. Wales.

Photo: © RWD

The four petals join about half-way along, unlike in Garden Privet where the un-joined parts are longer. The petals have a strong tendency to go brownish even when fairly young.

3rd July 2010, on low sea cliffs, north Arnside, Lancs.

Photo: © RWD

A head of the white flowers clustered together.

3rd July 2010, on low sea cliffs, north Arnside, Lancs.

Photo: © RWD

Flowers just opening, revealing inner composition. A black berry or two in the process of forming (lower middle).

3rd July 2010, on low sea cliffs, north Arnside, Lancs.

Photo: © RWD

The free part of the petals are split up to half-way; on Garden Privet they are split to over half-way. More black berries forming. The sepal-tube is long and narrow (centre top).

3rd July 2010, on low sea cliffs, north Arnside, Lancs.

Photo: © RWD

Four-petalled, brilliantly white flowers.

16th June 2009, Limestone Paving, Great Orme, N. Wales.

Photo: © RWD

The obverse of the leaves is a lighter green and without the prominent curved veins of Garden Privet.

27th March 2011, Wandlebury Country Park, Cambridge.

The berries are black and poisonous (as are those of Garden Privet which are seldom seen unless left un-pruned for over 9 months).

17th June 2014, limestone pavement, Gait Barrows, Lancs.

With some leaves more pointedly lanceolate than is usual, but still within specifications. (Garden Privet is not reported on the grykes at Gait Barrows)

17th June 2014, limestone pavement, Gait Barrows, Lancs.

A short spike of flowers.

17th June 2014, limestone pavement, Gait Barrows, Lancs.

Anthers two and an unusual (for anthers) pale-green at first.

17th June 2014, limestone pavement, Gait Barrows, Lancs.

Anthers turning yellow then brown. Note the single pale-green shorter style.

Easily confused with : Garden Privet

Some similarities to : Tree Privet

A member of the Olive Family, the fruit is a poisonous shiny black berry.

USE BY BUTTERFLIES

LAYS EGGS ON	CATERPILLAR	CHRYSALIS	BUTTERFLY
			✓
			Black Hairstreak

Syringin, aka Syringoside and Ligustrin, is found in both Lilac (Syringa Vulgaris) and Privets, including Wild Privet. Both belong to the Olive Family. Syringin is a poisonous phenylpropanoid glycoside, present in the berries and the leaves.

Oleuropein, an intensely bitter glucoside, being the tyrosol ester of Elenolic Acid is found in the leaves of both Privets and Olive Trees. It is a powerful anti-oxidant which helps to preserve Olive Oil and imparts a bitter flavour to Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Oleuropein is one of several Secoiridoid Glycosides, including Ligostride and some oleonids, that are contained in Privet and Olive leaves. The 'seco' part of secoIridoid refers to the broken bond in one of the 6-membered rings (lower middle)

The results of ingesting Privet leaves or berries is at first nausea, followed by vomiting, dizziness, headaches, diarrhoea, gastric disturbances, convulsions and finally circulatory arrest. It is neurotoxic, and livestock fatalities have occurred.

Ligustrum

vulgare

⇐ Global Aspect ⇒

Oleaceae

Distribution
family8Olive family8Oleaceae
BSBI maps

Ligustrum
(Privets)