border privet Oleaceae Ligustrum obtusifolium Siebold & Zucc. symbol: LIOB Leaf: Opposite, tardily deciduous to nearly evergreen, simple, oblong, 1 to 2 inches long, entire margins, slightly thickened, both tip and base rounded or blunt, dark green above and lighter below. Flower: Short panicles of white flowers (less than 1 1/2 inches), often very dense, very fragrant, appearing late spring at ends of twigs; individual flowers with tubes longer than the 4 petal lobes. Fruit: Shiny, blue-black berry with a white waxy bloom, smaller than 1/4 inch in diameter, ripens in fall and persisting. Twig: Slender, grayish green, pubescent, small opposite buds. Bark: Smooth, grayish brown, many light colored, short horizontal lenticels. Form: Upright shrub to 12 feet with equal spread, usually with many stems, can be somewhat twiggy. Looks like: Amur privet - Japanese privet - devilwood - Amur honeysuckle Additional Range Information: Ligustrum obtusifolium is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and may seed into the landscape. See states reporting border privet. More: Fall Color External Links: USDAFS Additional Silvics USDA Plants Database © Copyright 2016, Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, all rights reserved. Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson