Border Privet
This shrub is an invasive species that is banned in Connecticut and is not considered to be naturalized. Yet, I found it growing wild. This plant is able to escape cultivation and rapidly form dense thickets that can crowd out native species, which is why it is banned in Connecticut. It's a woody shrub that was about 6 feet tall. It had elliptic-shaped leaves and dark blue fruit, which persist on the branches throughout the winter.
''Ligustrum obtusifolium'' is a species of privet, native to Japan, Korea and northeastern China . The species is considered invasive in parts of the United States. It has become very common in southern New England, the mid-Atlantic States, and the Great Lakes regions, with scattered occurrences in the South, the Great Plains, and Washington State.
