Tree Privet

Ligustrum lucidum

''Ligustrum lucidum'' is a species of privet, a flowering plant in the olive family, Oleaceae, native to the southern half of China and naturalized in many places: Spain, Italy, Algeria, Canary Islands, New Zealand, Lesotho, South Africa, Japan, Korea, Australia, Norfolk Island, Chiapas, Central America, Argentina, and the southern United States.
Ligustrum lucidum It's becoming a tall tree in my backyard Fall,Geotagged,Ligustrum lucidum,United States

Appearance

''Ligustrum lucidum'' is an evergreen tree growing to 10 m tall and broad.

The leaves are opposite, glossy dark green, 6–17 centimetres long and 3–8 centimetres broad. The flowers are similar to other privets, white or near white, borne in panicles, and unpleasantly pungent.
Broad-leaf privet Ligustrum lucidum, a native of eastern Asia, is a small tree usually growing 4 to 12 m in height. It has relatively large glossy leaves and produces masses of bluish-black fruit during winter, as seen here. Ugh, it was simply everywhere I looked in just this one area of rainforest I was walking through. This species has been spread from gardens and hedges into bushland by birds and other animals that eat its fruit. It has invaded rainforests, gullies and waterways in the coastal and sub-coastal districts in the eastern and south-eastern parts of this country. It forms dense thickets which shade out and displace native species and it can also transform the habitat available to native animals. Australia,Flora,Geotagged,Lamiales,Ligustrum lucidum,Oleaceae,Tree Privet,Winter,berries,botany,broad-leaf privet,glossy privet,new south wales

Naming

''Ligustrum'' means "binder". The Latin specific epithet ''lucidum'' means "bright" or "shiny", referring to the leaves.

Uses

''Ligustrum lucidum'' is often used as an ornamental tree, sometimes in variegated forms. It is also one of several species of privet used as dense, evergreen hedges, which can be trained to a specific size and shape by regular pruning.

It has become an invasive species in some areas where it has been introduced, such as urban areas in the southeastern United States. It is classed as a noxious weed in New South Wales, Australia, and is similarly listed in New Zealand's National Pest Plant Accord.The seeds are known as ''nu zhen zi'' in traditional Chinese medicine and are believed to nourish liver and kidney yin and jing in the treatment of tinnitus , vertigo , premature graying of the hair, and soreness/weakness of the lower back and knees. Due to the belief in the berries' ability to nourish the liver, they are also used in the treatment of disorders of the eye involving red or dry eyes, blurred vision, and pain.

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Taxonomy
KingdomPlantae
DivisionAngiosperms
ClassEudicots
OrderLamiales
FamilyOleaceae
GenusLigustrum
SpeciesL. lucidum
Photographed in
Australia
United States of America