On 2014-05-02 20:49:05 +0000, Nick Maclaren said:

In article ,
sacha wrote:

Never understood why Privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium) has fallen out of
favour. Makes a superb healthy evergreen hedge that is easily clipped into
shape annually and is not a thug like Lelandii (Cupressocyparis Leylandii)
that need cutting two or three times a year. That said I have no idea if it
would grow well in South Carolina, USA.

It's not reliably evergreen in the UK - it becomes deciduous if the
winters are as cold as Cambridge used to have in the 1980s. Also,
it does need cutting at least twice a year if it likes the conditions.

I agree that it's better than leylandii!

We have a very aged plant of L. ovalifolium towards the bottom of our
garden, at the start of a path in a very shady area. It's a lovely
plant, very handsome. Other than clipping it back a bit to keep the
path clear, once a year, if that, we never do more and here, in S.
Devon it's 100% evergreen.

Yebbut, what I said stands. In my experience, it's reliably evergreen
down to at least -5, and reliably deciduous below about -10 (at least
if that is sustained). I don't know how cold it would get to actually
harm it, but a long way below that.

Lots of plants are evergreen in mild circumstances and deciduous in
harsh ones - and the 'mild' and 'harsh' can be heat and drought just
as much as cold. Cyclamen and pomegranate are like that.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

We're corroborating each other's experiences, don't you think? You are
in the cold drainage of Cambridgshire and we're in the mild wet of
Devonshire. Until I came here, I'd never seen this plant. It's so
handsome, so unlike the 'normal' privet hedge that I had trouble
believing they were related. If, given the above info from
experiences, anyone wants to try it, I'd commend it on looks alone.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon