Phillyrea angustifolia narrow-leaved mock privet
Phillyrea
The genus Phillyrea, commonly known as mock privet, belongs to the olive family and includes only two species of evergreen shrubs and small trees native mainly to the Mediterranean region. It was scientifically described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) in his seminal work Species Plantarum, where he openly acknowledged that mock privets were not newly discovered plants from distant expeditions, but woody species long familiar to the European landscape and culture. The father of modern botany, as Linnaeus is often called, merely named and classified them systematically. In recent decades, this genus has once again attracted the attention of gardeners and botanists in connection with climate change. Gradually rising temperatures, later onset of winter, sharp weather fluctuations, and above all a long-term decline in rainfall are creating conditions in which some traditional woody plants are reaching the limits of their tolerance, while others, previously rather overlooked, are beginning to thrive unexpectedly. Mock privets belong among those that can cope with these changes calmly and without visible signs of stress and as a bonus they remain evergreen.
Narrow-leaved mock privet, Phillyrea angustifolia, originates from regions so dry, parched, and inhospitable that Italians jokingly say it grows where even hope no longer grows. It is a typical representative of Mediterranean maquis vegetation, a dense, predominantly evergreen plant community covering rocky slopes and coastal areas of southern Europe.
The story of its scientific name reaches deep into Greek mythology. It tells of a sea nymph named Φιλύρα (Philyra), who was so beautiful that the god Cronus fell madly in love with her. To avoid being discovered, since he already had a wife, he transformed himself into a powerful stallion and seduced her in that form. From their union was born a child who was half man and half horse – the centaur Chiron, later one of the most important figures of Greek mythology. Philyra could not have foreseen this outcome and was so overwhelmed by shame that she asked the gods to rid her of her human form. They granted her wish and since she was a beautiful nymph, they transformed her into a beautiful tree – the phillyrea. This story, passed down since antiquity, gave the genus its name and made it a symbol of perseverance, resilience, and the ability to survive even where conditions are harsh, while still retaining beauty.
Narrow-leaved mock privet is another typical plant of so-called macchia vegetation found in dry and hot, rocky slopes of South Europe, i.e. plants which cope extremely well with long-lasting drought and are usually unattacked by wild animals. This mock privet has narrowly elliptic to lance-shaped, 4-6 cm long, leathery, and partially glossy, evergreen leaves with entire margins. In mid or late spring appears a profusion if tiny, insignificant, creamy white flowers followed by small, blue-black, spherical fruit.
Its fluffy habit resembles plants growing at sea dunes near the shore which are constantly blown around by wind. Its fine and delicate leaves bring a gentle touch to a border with shrubs with broader foliage. It grows rather fast into an upright, well-branched, chubby bush that is often clipped to remain smaller or shaped to topiary where a second trimming is required in midsummer. Use it as a beautiful small specimen tree in a Mediterranean-style landscape.
Mock privet primarily requires well-drained, moderately or poor fertile soil in which the roots do not become waterlogged in winter. Heavier clay subsoil at greater depth does not bother it, provided the root collar remains dry. After planting, it is advisable to keep the soil evenly moist, but once established, watering should be significantly reduced or omitted altogether. At full strength, it can get through the entire summer relying solely on natural rainfall. It thrives best in full sun but tolerates light partial shade. Planting stronger specimens with mature wood is recommended in the borderline regions of its hardiness, as they cope better with the first winter. Proven hardiness reaches down to −24 °C (USDA zone 6). Mock privet does not suffer from diseases or pests and, in its natural habitat, is so resilient that it even survives regular wildfires, capable of resprouting from a charred stump. We are unlikely to make use of that ability here, but it gives a true sense of its toughness.
Last update 07-03-2021; 23-02-2026
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- STANDARD QUALITY - Plants of this group are 1st class quality with number of branches and overall density adequate to their size and age, considering they were container grown.
- DE LUXE QUALITY - This label guarantees a luxurious quality of manually selected plants that, compared to their height and age, are exceptionally dense and beautiful.
- EXTRA - These plants are usually mature and bigger specimens with exceptional overall appearance.
- STANDARD (as described in the plant form) means a tree with a trunk of 190-210 cm and a crown at the top, unless specified differently. The commercial size for trees is their girth measured in the height of 1m from ground.
- HOBBY - These plants are of the same quality as our standard-quality plants but younger and therefore cheaper.
- SHRUB - a woody plant with branches growing bushy from the ground level.
- HALF-STANDARD or MINI-STANDARD - a small tree with shorter trunk, its size is usually specified.
- FEATHERED - These are trees with branches growing already from the base of the trunk and up along the stem.
- GRASSES and PERENNIALS - Sizes given usually read the diameter of the pot or the clump, as specified.
