# tree privet (*Ligustrum lucidum*) Tree privet is a bushy plant that can grow tall and has shiny green leaves. It often has small white flowers that turn into black berries, which birds love to eat! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![tree privet](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/FloweringLigustrumLucidumTree.jpg&width=800) Photo: Taken by Fanghong, CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FloweringLigustrumLucidumTree.jpg) ## Appearance The tree privet has dense, glossy dark green leaves that remain all year. It produces clusters of small, strongly fragrant white flowers, followed by abundant small, round, dark purple to black berries. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Lamiales - **Family:** Oleaceae - **Genus:** Ligustrum ## Interesting facts - In some places, it grows so well it takes over other plants! - Its wood is so dense, it's been used to make carving tools. - Some privet trees can live for over a hundred years! - This plant is related to the olive tree, a tasty fruit! ## Special abilities - **Evergreen Shield:** Tree privet has evergreen leaves that provide year-round shelter for small animals, even in winter. - **Berry Bonanza:** Tree privet can produce thousands of dark berries, which birds love to eat, helping to spread its seeds far and wide. - **City Survivor:** Tree privet can grow in tough places like polluted city air, helping it thrive where many other plants struggle. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 500-1500 cm - **Spread:** 300-1000 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Gathers nectar and pollen from its flowers. - **Eats:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — Consumes its berries, aiding seed dispersal. - **Shelter:** [House Sparrow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-sparrow) (*Passer domesticus*) — Uses its dense foliage for nesting and cover. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low While tree privet is fun to look at, it's best not to eat any berries without asking an adult. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify tree privet? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is tree privet? 500-1500 cm ### How wide does tree privet spread? 300-1000 cm ### How big are the flowers on tree privet? 0.5-1 cm ### When does tree privet bloom? Summer ### Is tree privet edible? No ### Is tree privet toxic? Mild ### What is tree privet's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Ellen Trout Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ellen-trout-zoo) — Texas, US · Zoo - [City of Camden Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/city-of-camden-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Icehouse Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/icehouse-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Water Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/water-avenue-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Carver Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/carver-park) — Illinois, US · Park - [Jardín del Turia](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jard-n-del-turia) — Spain, ES · Park [View all places to see tree privet](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/tree-privet) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Tree Privet: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-privet)