Common Privet - Ligustrum vulgare Atrovirens

The Ligustrum vulgare Atrovirens is a choice of common privet that offers added interest for its foliage that persists longer in winter. Easy and fast to grow in any soil, and perfectly tolerant of pruning, it is particularly appreciated for creating hedges. Depending on your budget, the length of your hedge, your patience, and the time you can dedicate to gardening, there is a range of products available to choose from.

- For an economical Atrovirens hedge, opt for 9 cm pots that you can plant all year round, or choose bare-root plants for autumn or winter planting. Soil preparation should be meticulous (careful weeding, removal of all roots, create planting trench) and until they establish themselves it is advisable to place a mulch at the base of the shrubs to limit the germination of adventive plants and the need for weeding. Once established, they grow quickly and will soon catch up with their cultivated counterparts in pots. This is the most economical solution when it comes to creating a hedge of at least 10 m (32.8 ft) in length.

- For a fast-growing Atrovirens hedge, or to fill in an existing hedge, choose bushes in 2-3 litre, or even 10 and 12 litre pots. Potted bushes can be planted throughout the year, except during freezing or extremely hot periods. They should be planted in individual planting holes, like all other shrubs in the garden. While they have an immediate effect, they take a little longer to "start" and will require more frequent and regular watering, especially when the summer is dry.

Respect the proper planting distance depending on the size of your plant! It is recommended to leave a space of 60 cm (23.6 in) between each plant for plants in pots and bare roots, 70 cm (27.5 in) to 80 cm (31.5 in) for plants in 2 or 3 litre pots, 80 cm (31.5 in) to 1 m (3.3 ft) for pots from 4 to 10 litres, and 1 m (3.3 ft) to 1.2 m (3.9 ft) for pots larger than 10 litres.

Regarding the height of your hedge: except for specific requirements in a housing estate or condominium, the Civil Code applies: if trees and shrubs are taller than 2 m (6.6 ft), they must be planted at a minimum distance of 2 m (6.6 ft) from the property boundary. If the height is less than 2 m (6.6 ft), a minimum distance of 50 cm (19.7 in) is required. The planting distance is measured from the boundary to the centre of the tree. The height is measured from the ground to the tip of the plant.

The Ligustrum vulgare Atrovirens, vigorous, dense and compact, also offers fragrant cream-white summer blooms followed by black berries in autumn. This shrub is appreciated by both gardeners and birds, which gladly nest in it. This very accommodating privet tolerates all exposures, temporarily waterlogged soils, sea spray, and repeated pruning. When not pruned, 'Atrovirens' offers summer flowers composed of fragrant white-cream panicles, followed by black berries in autumn. 

Originally from temperate zones in Europe, Asia and North Africa, the common privet is perfectly at ease in most regions. Resistant to cold, it shows a preference for calcareous, fertile, and fresh soils, but it is very adaptable. It belongs, like lilac and olive, to the Oleaceae family. The cultivar 'Atrovirens', selected in Denmark in the 1970s, stands out with its elongated and narrower leaves, which are more resistant to severe frost.

Its habit is bushy and branching, its upright stems are very vigorous, and its growth is fast. The common Atrovirens privet can easily reach a height of 2 to 3 m with a width of 1.50 to 2 m (4.9 to 6.6 ft). Its foliage, very dense, consists of narrow and ovate leaves of dark green colour, measuring between 3 and 6 cm (1.2 to 2.4 in) long. In June-July, on unpruned subjects, small tubular white-cream flowers appear, very fragrant and intensely honey-scented, in panicles of 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in). This is followed by small spherical berries, 3 to 5 mm (0.1 to 0.2 in) in diameter, turning black and shiny in autumn. They will persist throughout part of winter and serve as food for certain birds. The leaves, flowers, and fruits of the privet are toxic to humans if ingested. 

This variety of 'Atrovirens' privet is one of the most commonly used for creating trimmed hedges and windbreaks. It is very easy to shape as desired, making it suitable for topiary and bonsai. The shrub also merits being planted in groups, clumps, or wild or countryside hedges, which will allow you to enjoy its blossoms. The Ligustrum vulgare Atrovirens can be associated with other shrubs that flower in summer (Ceanothus Gloire de Versailles, Spirea, Hibiscus, Butterfly bush) and perennial plants (Gaura Lindheimeri, Verbena, Buenos Aires Vervain, Shrubby Mallows), in a flowering hedge. When pruned into topiary shapes, it will have a beautiful effect when combined with other similarly pruned shrubs (Boxwood, Elaeagnus ebbingei, Yew), with different shapes and foliage, giving a very graphic and minimalist decor.

The roots of the privet are voracious and make it difficult to establish perennial plants at its base. Respect a sufficiently large planting distance around it. 

Properties: With its highly fragrant and honey-scented flowering, this privet contributes to bee preservation. Its pollen can cause allergies in sensitive individuals. The privet has a very high resistance to pollution.