Ligustrum, privet.

if by fairly common.. you mean invasive.. you are probably right.. lol

ken

ps: in some areas anyway ...

Ligustrum japonicum probably is a nuisance species in NC. You can check by looking at web pages on weedy plants in your state or region.

L. lucidum is extremely common in central Texas if that's where this was taken. The plant may have some medicinal uses but isn't considered edible.

Here is a link that might be useful: Invasive Spotlight: Glossy Privet (Ligustrum lucidum)

Again I can't get a link here to open. Anyway, plant shown looks like L. japonicum to me - this and L. lucidum are confused with one another by some Americans. The bushier one with the thicker, shinier, smaller leaves and smaller flower heads is L. japonicum. L. lucidum is also more decidedly tree-like when not restrained.

Ligustrum japonicum is essentially sterile in central Texas. I've only found a single seedling in 30 odd years here. L.japonicum cv's. grow from one to four meters on average owing to drought and soil. L. lucidum starts at four meters and tops out at around 8 meters (~26Ft.). L. lucidum seedlings number in the thousands in some parks and wild areas.

Here is a link that might be useful: a single record of L. japonicum (correctly ID) the rest are misidentifications.

This post was edited by saltcedar on Wed, Dec 25, 13 at 18:00

And that turned out to be another link I can't get to open.

Records from Jacobson, North American Landscape Trees for L. lucidum:

95' (Mexico)

73' (Sacramento)

48' (New Zealand)

44' (Seattle)

Descriptions from Hortus Third:

L. japonicum

- Evergreen, to 10 ft. or more

- Lvs. to 3 or 4 in. long, short-pointed or nearly obtuse, glabrous, leathery

- Fls. in panicles to 6 in. long, corolla tube slightly longer than lobes

- Summer to early autumn

L. lucidum

- Evergreen, to 30 ft.

- Lvs. to 4 or 6 in. long, acuminate, glossy, glabrous

- Fls. in panicles to 10 in. long, corolla tube as long as lobes

- Late summer

L. lucidum latifolium produces papery, deciduous leaves.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ligustrum lucidum in eFloras Flora of China

This post was edited by bboy on Thu, Dec 26, 13 at 0:32

Try another browser?

I don't know, I've only been getting it on this site. And there have been a couple recent announcements here of them having to work on the site.

Thanks.

No problem with Firefox.

All the links work for me (also Firefox).

There were, however, maybe 3 or 4 different times over the past few days when either GW or a forum wouldn't come up, but that's the only problem I noticed.

no problem with Opera browser

I usually use Firefox but haven't been with this computer, suspected that if I went back to that browser the site would work better. Sounds like that is the case, with the changing the browser suggestion being right on the mark.

I'm confused on how to tell the difference between Ligustrum & Viburnum?
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/namegal/msg1221452224189.html

What is this? Also Ligustrum lucidum...or perhaps Viburnum? And how do I tell the damned difference? :D

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:377213}}

This post was edited by blakrab on Mon, Jan 20, 14 at 22:04

As far as I know all Ligustrums have entire margins. Most Viburnums (not all) have toothed leaves. A good starting point.

Links work for me on Chrome.

To tell an L. japonicum from an L. lucidum, bend the leaves (under warm conditions). Lucidum leaves just bend (crease) while japonicum leaves will actually break.

Japonicum leaves are a bit more succulent and slightly more glossy. Plants don't get as large.