Ligustrum japonicum Green Century - Japanese Privet

The Ligustrum japonicum 'Green Century' is another variety of elegant Japanese privet, well adapted to small spaces, which usually requires no pruning. This bush is interesting for its moderate development, its compact and upright habit, and its excellent hardiness. It's also adorned with pretty evergreen leaves that are particularly vibrant in colour. To all these qualities is added a fragrant cream-white flowering that attracts many foraging insects and animates the garden in summer. It grows as easily as the boxwood to which it can easily substitute, in all its uses. 

The Ligustrum japonicum is an evergreen bush of the oleaceae family native to Korea and Japan. 'Green Century' is a Belgian horticultural variety that stands out for its cold resistance, its smaller development, and its more upright habit. The plant tends to develop almost vertical branches that limit its spread. It will reach about 1.75m (5 ft 8 in) in height and 1.50m (4 ft 11 in) in width after several years. Its branches bear leaves arranged in an opposite manner throughout the year. They are entire, ovate with a pointed tip, shiny and dark green when mature, and measure 4 to 10 cm (1.6 to 3.9 in) long. In the spring, the young leaves are a lighter green, contrasting nicely with the older foliage. Flowering occurs in July-August. It takes the form of conical clusters of 10 to 12cm (3.9 to 4.7 in) long at the ends of the branches. Each inflorescence contains dozens of small, creamy white, honey-scented flowers. They give way to berries of a blackish-purple colour, provided the bush is not pruned. All parts of the privet are toxic if ingested.

The Ligustrum japonicum 'Green Century', discreet but elegant and decorative all year round, can be used in many ways: as a hedge, standalone, in a shrub collection or even in a pot. Its moderate growth spares the gardener any pruning, even when it is installed in a boundary hedge. Withstanding pruning well, it lends itself wonderfully to the art of topiary, and can perfectly replace the boxwood.  Also pair it with other easy-to-live-with bushes, for example evergreen viburnums, Abelias, Aucuba, or Berberis.