Herb: Chinese Privet


Latin name: Ligustrum sinense


Family: Oleaceae (Olive Family)



Medicinal use of Chinese Privet:

The bark is used as an antipyretic.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
3 m
(9 3/4 foot)

Flowering:
July

Habitat of the herb:

Thin woods and thickets in lowland and hills all over Japan. Mixed forests, valleys, along streams, thickets, woods, ravines at elevations of 200 - 2600 metres.

Other uses of Chinese Privet:

Much cultivated as a hedge and screen plant in N. America.

Propagation of the herb:

The seed does not require any pre-treatment and can be sown in the spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Very easy. Cuttings of mature wood, 20 - 30cm in a sheltered outdoor bed in November/December. High percentage.

Cultivation of Chinese Privet:

Thin woods and thickets in lowland and hills all over Japan. Mixed forests, valleys, along streams, thickets, woods, ravines at elevations of 200 - 2600 metres.

Known hazards of Ligustrum sinense:

Although no reports of toxicity have been seen for this species, at least one member of this genus is recorded as being mildly toxic and it is quite possible that other members of the genus also contain toxins.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.