Illustrative photo.
Ligustrum lucidum 'Bokrascreen' GREEN SCREEN glossy privet, Chinese privet
size/type
taller shrub,taller shrub
usual height
2-5m
usual width
1-2m
leaves
evergreen broadleaf
colour of leaves
flowers
showy
colour of flowers
blooming time
August-September
location
full to partial sun
soil type
any (acidic to alkaline)
soil moisture requirements
evenly moist but well-drained
USDA zone (lowest)
8 (down to -18°C)
winter protection
for zone 5+6
for zone 7
categorized
Ligustrum
Privet (Ligustrum) are well-known plants used mainly for hedges, both formal and informal. They are mostly vigorous shrubs that work well as filler and cover plants due to their opacity and volume. However, there are some among them that deserve a nice spot as specimen shrubs or even trees. Glossy privet (Chinese privet) is a Chinese version of evergreen privet, which often gets confused with Japanese proved L. japonicum. Glossy privet has larger and less glossy leaves, which somewhat contradicts its common name. It grows more vigorously, reaching 2 to 3 times the height of L. japonicum, and in frost-free climates, it produces root suckers spreading uncontrollably. It forms dense thickets that provide shelter for wildlife or prevent erosion in nature, as they grow well even in dry areas. However, in cultivated landscapes, they are considered invasive. This does not happen in continental climate of Central Europe, though. It originates from a vast area ranging from China, through Korea, to Japan and belongs to the olive family, which I have been studying and testing for many years due to its better-than-previously-reported resistance to our winters.GREEN SCREEN is a fantastic variety of Chinese privet developed by Dutch breeder Kees Jan Kraan in collaboration with the nursery Boot & Dart. He began working on it in 2005 by collecting the most interesting parent plants for crossbreeding and selected the winner from new seedlings, which showed beautiful structure, colors, and healthy leaves, and as a bonus, better hardiness. Paradoxically, it did not appeal to those it was bred for: urban planners and landscape architects responsible for public greenery. It was only when Plantipp, a company representing plant breeders' rights, discovered this piece and rechanneled it to retail customers in Europe and the USA as another evergreen shrub for both hedges as well as specimen planting, successfully diverging from the initial plan. It got its second chance in a re-launch at the GroetGroenPlus trade fair in 2023, where it won silver (KVBC Silver Medal). The variety is protected by European patent EU 44346 from 2016.
Description of the plant:
GREEN SCREEN privet is a reliably evergreen shrub with medium-sized, evergreen, ovate leaves of an attractive colour. In spring, it emerges with a striking mahogany-red color, which fades as the leaf matures, and the leaf turns olive green. However, before it turns completely green, its matte underside briefly changes to a pale pink. The leaf margins retain a thin red border for a long time. Young twigs are similarly mahogany-red. If you don't prune the shrub during the season, it will delight you with an abundance of beautiful, conical panicles composed of white flowers in the second half of the summer, which can be followed by small, dark, poisonous fruits whose production can be eliminated by pruning after flowering.It grows upright, at a moderate speed (approximately 30 cm per year), and forms dense shrubs with an oval to rounded-pyramidal shape, which can be shaped and trimmed in any way from the end of winter to mid-summer. Without pruning, its height is around 4-5 meters in gardens and up to double that in zones 8 and higher in places with unlimited root space. You can use it as a hedge with a spacing of 70-100 cm from each other, or as a handsome, flowering, evergreen specimen plant with an interesting colour change of leaves.
Evergreen privets will grow in almost any soil, but in acidic to neutral soil with plenty of nutrients they will have the most intense leaf colour. The soil must be free draining, as they usually die off after the first winter in water-logged soil. Once established, they cope with long-lasting drought very well. Variegated forms should be planted in full sun, or in places with winter shade but summer sun. Glossy privet is suitable for warmer locations of zone 6 as its tested hardiness is so far -18 °C, but it is expected to withstand much more. We recommend mulching it well for the winter. During harsher winters, it may lose some leaves or even branch tips, but all will readily regenerate in the spring.
Last update 16-02-2025
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