Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Japanese Privet
Japanese Privet is a large evergreen shrub with dense, glossy leaves that can grow 10 to 15 feet tall and about as wide. Left to grow it makes a tall screen or background plant. With its lower limbs removed, it can be trained into a small single or multi-trunk patio tree. It also takes shearing into hedges and shapes. Creamy white flower clusters come in late spring.
Best for: tall screens and background planting, a small single or multi-trunk patio tree, informal or sheared hedges, and large containers on an east or north side.
Left unsheared it grows 10 to 15 feet tall and about as wide, a dense green screen or background behind lower plants. Plant 6 to 8 feet apart for a continuous screen.
With the lower limbs removed over time, it becomes a small single or multi-trunk patio tree. It is used as an accent in watered yards.
It can be sheared into formal hedges and topiary, or kept at 5 to 6 feet. Shear after the late spring bloom and shape lightly the rest of the year.
It needs regular water to handle Valley heat and burns in hot west sun. Wet, poorly drained soil brings yellow leaves and Texas root rot.
- Plant to plant6-8 ft apart, center to center
- Dense screenAbout 6 ft apart, center to center
Keep a new plant's root ball moist for the first months. Once rooted, soak it deeply about every 7 to 14 days in summer, and every 2 to 3 weeks in cooler months.
Prune in early to mid summer, after the late spring bloom. For a tree form, remove lower limbs a few at a time and keep the strongest trunks.
Partial sun is best in the Valley. Hot west sun burns the leaves, so an east or north side is easiest.
Texas root rot, spider mites and scale are the main problems. Plant in soil that drains and do not keep the ground soggy.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does Japanese Privet get?
Left alone it grows about 10 to 15 feet tall and 8 to 15 feet wide, at a moderate pace. Pruning keeps it at 5 to 6 feet if you want a hedge.
Can Japanese Privet be grown as a tree?
Yes. It grows with one or several trunks and is used as a small patio tree. Remove lower limbs gradually to raise the canopy.
How far apart should I plant it for a screen?
Plant it about 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center, or about 6 feet for a denser screen. The Spacing tab will count plants for your row.
How often should I water Japanese Privet?
Water it regularly all year, because it handles Valley heat only with regular water. Once rooted, soak it deeply about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 2 to 3 weeks in cooler months.
Where should I plant it in Phoenix?
Plant it where it gets partial sun, such as an east or north side. Keep it out of hot west sun, which burns the leaves.
Do Japanese Privet flowers smell?
Yes. Creamy white flower clusters come in late spring, often May, and many people find the scent musty or unpleasant.
When should I prune it?
Prune it after the late spring bloom, in early to mid summer. It takes pruning in any style, from a loose screen to a sheared hedge or topiary.
Is Japanese Privet toxic to pets?
Yes. It is listed as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, and the leaves and black berries are poisonous if eaten. Stomach upset is the most common sign. Call a vet if a pet chews it.
Why are the leaves yellow?
Wet, poorly drained alkaline soil is a common cause. Check drainage and ease off watering if the soil stays wet.
What problems does Japanese Privet have in Arizona?
Texas root rot, spider mites and scale are the main problems. Plant it in soil that drains to lower the root rot risk.
Is Japanese Privet the same as Wax Leaf Privet?
They are the same species. Wax Leaf Privet is the name used for the 'Texanum' form, which stays smaller, about 8 to 10 feet.
Japanese Privet for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Japanese Privet (Ligustrum japonicum) is a dense evergreen from Japan and China that can reach 10 to 15 feet. It works as a tall screen, a sheared hedge or a small patio tree. Below is what to expect, including size, spacing, sun, water, pruning, flowers and berries, common problems and pets.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Japanese Privet in the Valley
Japanese Privet is a dense, glossy evergreen that can reach 10 to 15 feet. In Phoenix it does best in partial sun with regular water, out of hot west sun.
Japanese Privet as a small tree
It grows with one or several trunks and is used as a small patio tree or accent. Remove lower limbs gradually to raise the canopy.
How far apart to plant Japanese Privet
For a screen, plant about 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center, or about 6 feet for a denser screen. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your row.
Watering Japanese Privet in Phoenix
It needs regular water all year. Soak it deeply about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 2 to 3 weeks in cooler months, in soil that drains.
Japanese Privet flowers, berries and smell
Creamy white flowers come in late spring with a musty scent many people dislike. Small black berries follow, and birds eat them. Leaves and berries are poisonous to people and pets.
Japanese Privet vs Wax Leaf Privet
Both plants are Ligustrum japonicum. Wax Leaf Privet is the 'Texanum' form, which stays smaller, about 8 to 10 feet. Japanese Privet can reach 10 to 15 feet.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.