The privets are all members of the olive family. These plants all have leaves that appear across from each other on the stem, and grow as shrubs or small trees. There are over 500 species included in the Olive family, with about twenty species found in Florida. They includes privets, Fringe trees, jasmines, and wild olives.

The privets that are more well known in the landscape belong to the genus Ligustrum, which means "privet-like" in Latin. There are eleven species and one hybrid of Ligustrum that grow in the southeastern US, with over 22 named cultivated varieties. Among the more common Ligustrums found in our area are the Chinese Ligustrum (L. sinense = from China), and the Wax Leaf or Japanese Ligustrum (L. japonicum = from Japan). Both are used quite frequently as hedge plants or even as small specimen trees. Our office has a bulletin (ENH-45) that describes these plants and how they are used in the landscape.

Another group of privets includes the Florida natives which belong the genus Forestiera. Four species are known in Florida. Most of these are shrubs found in North Florida through the panhandle, but there is one can be found growing through the peninsular part of our state. Forestiera segregata is best known as Florida Privet, but may also be called Wild olive or Ink-bush in some references. This is the plant that is the focus of today’s column. It has recently become more popular as a part of Florida Friendly landscapes because of its adaptability to local climatic conditions, its ease of care, and its value as a wildlife enhancing part of the landscape.

APPEARANCE

Florida Privet is a common plant found in coastal hammocks, and is well adapted to salt spray, occasional flooding and alkaline soil conditions. Frost should not be a problem with this plant. It has small simple elliptical to oblong leaves with straight margins that measure less than 2" to 4" in length. The plant can grow to a width of six to ten feet, and can grow upwards to 10 to 15 feet in height, with an upright oval, vase shape. It can be pruned into a formal hedge, or allowed to grow into large screening plant for privacy or as a sound barrier.

The plant is described as semi-evergreen, so expect a natural thinning of foliage in January and February. A spurt of new leaves in the spring occurs after Florida Privet produces small yellow green inconspicuous flowers. Bees find the nectar very attractive during a time of the year when there are few other wildflowers available. This plant is dioecious, so only the female plants will produce the small blue to purple colored berries that are an attractive food source for birds. The seed are used to grow new plants.

If you want to see Florida Privet in the landscape, here are some places they can be found growing on the Treasure Coast::

• Humiston Park on Ocean Drive in Vero Beach. Near the children’s playground equipment is a multi-stems small tree that was identified and measured and designated as the national Champion Florida Privet in 1993. With a height of 17½ feet and a spread of 21 feet, it is a bit larger than normal, but can give you an idea of what it could become.
• An Indian River County Building at 2525 St. Lucie Avenue, Vero Beach. Planted as part of a Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Program Demonstration project, several new plants were added to the existing volunteers that are found on the west wall of this county building. Note that Florida Privet often grows up in the middle of existing hedge plants from seed spread by birds. It can be allowed to fill in missing spots in hedges that decline, and eventually replace more poorly adapted plants.
• Environmental Learning Center, Wabasso. There are many Florida Privet that have been included in the native landscapes at this site. They are identified by signs and show how this hardy native can become established in the shelly fill soil that makes up many of our new landscapes.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

I had been asked a few weeks ago to help a landscaper analyze a problem with their hedges. After checking the soil pH and hearing of drastic drainage problems, we determined that the wrong plant was used in the landscape. No amount of remedial action would ever solve the poor growth of these plants. One shrub that was consistently mentioned by our plant selection programs as a replacement on such a site was Florida Privet. The non-native shrubs are now being replaced with this more well adapted native that will require a lot less maintenance at this site. But be careful to specify the plant by its Botanical name - Forestiera segregata. This landscaper had some difficulty because the common name of Florida Privet was not recognized by the nursery - and a shipment of Japanese Privet (Ligustrum japonicum) was initially delivered to the site.