Plant Spotlight: Golden Privet
A Beautiful Hedge Plant or Specimen Shrub
I love this golden-yellow shrub. It glows in the landscape. Golden Privet (Ligustrum ‘Vicaryi’) makes a great hedge plant and is also a nice specimen shrub in the yard. Regular shearing will potentially show a bit more green than gold, but I've found the overall effect is still a glowing golden-yellow. Used as a backdrop, the Golden Privet makes other colors stand out against its golden-yellow/green foliage. The color on our shrubs changed to a reddish hue through the fall and are still holding onto pretty much all of their leaves so far (it is mid-January).
Golden Privet is a deciduous, sterile hybrid and non-invasive. It is tolerant of a variety of soil types and said to be somewhat drought tolerant once establish. I have found that they require a consistent and somewhat higher than expected amount of water, at least in the first few years after planting and anywhere you have more free draining soil.
I have planted around 80 of these shrubs here at Shortmeadow to create multiple hedges and "wall in" the center garden. About twenty years ago, I planted two rows of Golden Privets in my parents' backyard. They are now at least 10 feet tall, perhaps pushing 12 feet. One row/hedge has slipped into deeper and deeper shade as the trees around it have grown through the years. It is a bit shorter, a bit less full, and more green than the other hedge that stands in almost full sun.
Golden Privet Characteristics
Hardiness: USDA Zones 5-8
Size: 6-12 feet tall and 7-10 feet wide
Growth Rate: Fast
Habit (Form/Shape): Multi-stemmed vase / oval
Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil: Grows in a wide range of soils, well draining
Pests/Diseases: No serious pests or diseases
Weedy Pete
Sources
My backyard
