European Privet
Ligustrum vulgare
In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in disturbed places. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you
-55
Severe harm
Not native to Arkansas. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 76%
- Height
- About 12 feet
- Light
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil moisture
- Somewhat dry to moist
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Do not plant. Listed invasive in Arkansas.
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At a glance
- Life cycle
- Woody perennial
- Leaves
- Semi-evergreen or evergreen
- Bloom
- May to July
- Fruiting season
- Summer to fall
JFMAMJJASOND
Not yet recorded · Spread
Recorded in 8 Arkansas counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Also found with this plant
Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Arkansas. Shared habitat, not food. 77 animals.
- Cerulean WarblerDendroica cerulea
- Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula
- Eastern TowheePipilo erythrophthalmus
- Fox SparrowPasserella iliaca
- Golden-winged WarblerVermivora chrysoptera
- Great Crested FlycatcherMyiarchus crinitus
- Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleuca
- Hooded WarblerWilsonia citrina
- Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimus
- Least SandpiperCalidris minutilla
- Lesser YellowlegsTringa flavipes
- Marsh WrenCistothorus palustris
- Mississippi KiteIctinia mississippiensis
- Neotropic CormorantPhalacrocorax brasilianus
- Northern ParulaParula americana
- Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicus
- Northern ShovelerAnas clypeata
- OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapilla
- Red-shouldered HawkButeo lineatus
- Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellus
- Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivacea
- SoraPorzana carolina
- Summer TanagerPiranga rubra
- Swamp SparrowMelospiza georgiana
Widespread birds also seen here (60)
Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.
- American Goldfinch
- American Kestrel
- American Robin
- Bald Eagle
- Baltimore Oriole
- Belted Kingfisher
- Black-crowned Night-heron
- Blue Grosbeak
- Blue Jay
- Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
- Brown Creeper
- Brown Thrasher
- Cedar Waxwing
- Chimney Swift
- Chipping Sparrow
- Cliff Swallow
- Common Nighthawk
- Common Yellowthroat
- Cooper's Hawk
- Double-crested Cormorant
- Downy Woodpecker
- Eastern Bluebird
- Eastern Kingbird
- Eastern Screech-owl
- Eurasian Collared-dove
- European Starling
- Golden-crowned Kinglet
- Great Horned Owl
- Hairy Woodpecker
- Harris's Sparrow
- Hooded Merganser
- Indigo Bunting
- Mourning Dove
- Northern Cardinal
- Northern Flicker
- Northern Mockingbird
- Orange-crowned Warbler
- Orchard Oriole
- Osprey
- Pileated Woodpecker
- Pine Siskin
- Purple Finch
- Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Red-headed Woodpecker
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Tufted Titmouse
- Turkey Vulture
- White-crowned Sparrow
- White-throated Sparrow
- Wild Turkey
- Wood Thrush
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
- Yellow-billed Cuckoo
- Yellow-breasted Chat
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
31CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR
Genus host records with ranges including AR · Ligustrum
- Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
- Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
- Apantesis naisNais Tiger Moth
- Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
- Automeris ioIo Moth
- Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
- Ceratomia undulosaWaved Sphinx
- Cerma cerinthaTufted Bird-Dropping Moth, Cherry Agate
- Citheronia regalisRoyal Walnut Moth, Hickory Horned Devil
- Dolba hyloeusPawpaw Sphinx
Show all 31
- Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
- Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
- Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
- Harrisimemna trisignataHarris's Three-Spot
- Hymenia perspectalisSpotted Beet Webworm
- Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
- Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
- Manduca rusticaRustic Sphinx
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Paleacrita vernataSpring Cankerworm Moth
- Palpita quadristigmalisFour-Spotted Palpita, Privet Moth
- Paonias myopsSmall-Eyed Sphinx
- Papilio glaucusEastern Tiger Swallowtail
- Podosesia syringaeLilac Borer Moth, Ash Borer
- Sphinx chersisGreat Ash Sphinx
- Sphinx franckiiFranck's Sphinx
- Sphinx kalmiaeFawn Sphinx, Laurel Sphinx
- Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Astala confederata
- Philtraea monillata
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claimGrowing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Oleaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 4a–7b
- Flower color
- White
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Growth habit
- Several stems
- Foliage color
- Green
- Fruit begins
- Summer
- Fruit ends
- Fall
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “May to July” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Flower color · “White” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Hardiness · “Zones 4a–7b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Height · “About 12 feet” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Leaves · “Semi-evergreen or evergreen” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- primary_flower_color · “white” · USDA PLANTS
- Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as
Common Privet
Conservation status
| Arkansas rank | SNA |
|---|---|
| Global rank | GNR |
| AR status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
Sources
- Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Arkansas (2013)
- USDA PLANTS
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition
- NatureServe Explorer
- Arkansas occurrence source
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications