Ligustrum obtusifolium Regelianum - Privet

The Ligustrum obtusifolium 'Regelianum' is a variety of privet with blunt leaves that combines many qualities, making it an excellent bush for hedges or beds that we should plant more often in our gardens. With an unusual habit, it offers remarkable white summer flowering, followed by an abundant blue-black fruiting that persists until winter. Under the effect of the cold, its leaves take on superb purplish colours, which they retain for several weeks before falling. This hardy and undemanding bush adapts to all types of soil, from dry to fresh, acidic to limey, but not too poor soil. Its flowers feed bees and its fruits are a delight for birds.

Also known as Ligustrum obtusifolium var. regelianum, this bush from the Oleaceae family is native to Japan. Its foliage is generally deciduous in winter, but it may partially persist in a mild climate. At maturity, it will reach an average of 1.75 m (5 ft 8 in) in all directions (up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) under very favourable conditions). Its annual growth is on the order of 10-15 cm (3.9-5.9 in) in all directions. The well-ramified plant develops slightly pendulous branches that spread horizontally. It presents a tiered bushy habit.  Its pubescent branches bear leaves arranged in an opposite manner, in tight ranks on the same plane. The leaves are entire, elliptical to elongate ovate, measuring between 5.5 and 8 cm (2.2 and 3.1 in) in length and 1.5 to 2 cm (0.6 to 0.8 in) in width. Their colour is bright green on top, with a grey-green underside. In the autumn, they turn to purple and then to a brownish-violet to bluish-violet, beautiful shades that they retain for several weeks. The flowering, particularly abundant, takes place in June-July. It takes the form of short conical clusters, dense and upright, appearing at the end of each branch. Each inflorescence is composed of numerous small creamy white flowers, melliferous and slightly fragrant. They give way to small blue-black berries at ripeness, provided the bush is not pruned. All parts of the privet are toxic if ingested.

The Ligustrum obtusifolium 'Regelianum', of real elegance, can be used in multiple ways: in hedges, alone, in shrub beds, or even in a large rockery. Its moderate growth frees the gardener from any pruning, even when it is installed in a shared hedge. Also combine it with other easy-care bushes, for example rockery conifers, evergreen viburnums, Abelias, lilacs, Berberis