European Privet
Ligustrum vulgare
Found in disturbed places. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you
—
Not native
Not native to Virginia. 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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At a glance
- Life cycle
- Woody perennial
- Leaves
- Semi-evergreen or evergreen
- Bloom
- May to July
- Fruiting season
- Summer to fall
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Not yet recorded · Spread
Recorded in 25 Virginia 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 Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 120 animals.
- Blue GrosbeakPasserina caerulea
- Blue-winged WarblerVermivora pinus
- Boat-tailed GrackleQuiscalus major
- Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus
- Brown CreeperCerthia americana
- Brown ThrasherToxostoma rufum
- Brown-headed CowbirdMolothrus ater
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum
- Cerulean WarblerDendroica cerulea
- Chimney SwiftChaetura pelagica
- Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina
- Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonota
- Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula
- Common NighthawkChordeiles minor
- Common RavenCorvus corax
- Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas
- Downy WoodpeckerPicoides pubescens
- Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus
- Eastern PhoebeSayornis phoebe
- Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asio
- Eastern Wood-peweeContopus virens
- Eurasian Collared-doveStreptopelia decaocto
- European StarlingSturnus vulgaris
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
32CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA
Genus host records with ranges including VA · Ligustrum
- Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
- Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
- Aethalura intertextaFour-Barred Gray
- 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
Show all 32
- Dolba hyloeusPawpaw Sphinx
- 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
- Rhopobota naevanaBlackheaded Fireworm, Holly Bud Moth, Holly Tortrix
- 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
—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
| Virginia rank | SNA |
|---|---|
| Global rank | GNR |
| VA status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
Sources
- Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora
- USDA PLANTS
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition
- NatureServe Explorer
- 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