Ligustrum, Japanese Privet, Waxleaf Privet 'Recurvifolium'

This is a tough shrub that makes a nice, dense hedge. It does well at the northern edge of its cold hardiness in zone 7a, although it gro...Read Morews slowly and doesn't get as large. It can tolerate poor clay soil and a surprising amount of shade if you're willing to give up some foliage. Its vase-like habit is unusual, and contrasts well. Japanese privet is truly evergreen here, unlike the much-despised Chinese privet shrub. There's hardly any comparison between the two, with Japanese privet being a well-behaved landscape plant and Chinese privet being an aggressive weed. Deer don't like privet much, but will nibble on it in lean times. Luckily, it's a resilient shrub that recovers quickly. For beekeeping, Japanese privet provides a lot of nectar at an important time, bridging the gap between early and late spring blooming trees. But it can give honey an unpleasant flavor if too much of the nectar finds its way in. That won't be a surprise to anyone who has smelled the (subjectively) stinky flowers.