Ligustrum delavayanum

Ligustrum delavayanum, or Delavay privet, belongs to the olive family, Oleaceae. Its native range runs from south-central China to northern Myanmar. Chinese records include Guizhou, western Hubei, Sichuan, and Yunnan. It grows in thickets, woods on slopes, and along streams. Habitat records span elevations of 1,640–12,140 feet [500–3,700 metres]. It is a shrub of temperate regions, not a British native.

This compact, bushy shrub keeps its leaves through the year. Garden plants reach about 3.3–4.9 feet [1–1.5 metres] tall. Their spread reaches about 4.9–8.2 feet [1.5–2.5 metres]. The listed garden range makes it wider than tall. Plants take about 10–20 years to reach their full size. The dark green leaves have an oval, egg-like shape. Small white flowers grow in short panicles in early summer. Blue-black berries follow the flowers. These flowers and fruit add seasonal interest to its evergreen form.

Grow Delavay privet in full sun or partial shade. It suits a woodland edge or a site with dappled light. Deep shade is not a listed planting choice. It accepts chalk, clay, loam, and sandy soils. Acid, neutral, and alkaline soils all suit it. Good drainage matters, though the soil may stay moist. The RHS also records drought resistance. Both sheltered and exposed sites fall within its listed conditions. The RHS gives it a UK hardiness rating of H4. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 6–9.

Its dense form suits hedges and screens in milder areas. It also fits cottage gardens and less formal planting. The RHS includes it among low-maintenance garden choices. Its modest height offers a hedge option without a tall tree's scale. Seeds, semi-hardwood cuttings, and hardwood cuttings provide ways to raise new plants. Aphids, leaf-mining moths, and thrips may attack it. Honey fungus is a possible disease problem.

Do not treat the berries as food. The RHS warns that eating this plant can cause harm. It also advises gloves and protective gear when handling it. Plants For A Future lists no known food or medicinal uses. That source notes uncertainty about toxicity in this species. This does not remove the RHS warning against eating it.