Taxon:  Ligustrum vulgare L.



Summary
Genus:
Ligustrum
Family:
Oleaceae
Tribe:
Oleeae
Nomen number:
22101
Place of publication:
Sp. pl. 1:7.  1753
Verified:
05/24/1995 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
49 (29  active, 13  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Ligustrum insulare Decne.
Ligustrum insulense Decne.

Images (1 total. Click on image for more.)
Seed

Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  2. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  3. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  4. Botanical Society of the British Isles. BSBI taxon database (on-line resource).
  5. Conant, P. et al. 1997. Appendix. Selected plant species interfering with resource management goals in North American natural areas. In: Luken, J. O. & J. W. Thieret, eds., Assessment and management of plant invasions. 255-267.
  6. Cooper, M. R. & A. W. Johnson. 1998. Poisonous plants and fungi in Britain: animal and human poisoning Note: poisonous
  7. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
  8. Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
  9. Encke, F. et al. 1993. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 14. Auflage
  10. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  11. Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
  12. Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
  13. Henderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12
  14. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  15. Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
  16. Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
  17. Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
  18. Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
  19. Krüssmann, G. 1984. Manual of cultivated broad-leaved trees and shrubs (English translation of Handbuch der Laubgehölze. 1976)
  20. Lampe, K. F. & M. A. McCann. 1985. AMA handbook of poisonous and injurious plants Note: poisonous
  21. Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
  22. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
  23. Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
  24. Munro, D. B. Canadian poisonous plants information system (on-line resource).
  25. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
  26. Pignatti, S. 1982. Flora d'Italia.
  27. Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
  28. Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
  29. Townsend, C. C. & E. Guest. 1966-. Flora of Iraq.
  30. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  31. Walters, S. M. et al., eds. 1986-2000. European garden flora.
  32. Weber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
  33. Zohary, M. et al. 1980-. Conspectus florae orientalis.
  34. 2018. Mid-Atlantic invasive plant species (on-line resource)
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishcommon privet  1Wiersema, J. H. & B. León. 1999. World economic plants: a standard reference CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
EnglishEuropean privet  1Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
Englishprivet  1Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Englishprivet-hedge  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Englishwild privet  1Botanical Society of the British Isles. BSBI taxon database (on-line resource).
Afrikaansgewone liguster  2Henderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12
Frenchraisin de chien  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Frenchtroène vulgaire  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
GermanLiguster  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Italianligustro  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Italianolivella  2Pignatti, S. 1982. Flora d'Italia.
Portuguesealfena  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Portuguesealfenheiro  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Portugueseligustro  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanishalheña  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Spanishligustro  2Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants
Swedishliguster  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Transliterated Russianbirjučina  2Hanelt, P., ed. 2001. Mansfeld's encyclopedia of agricultural and horticultural crops. Volumes 1-6
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaMorocco  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusArmenia  Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusAzerbaijan  Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusGeorgia  Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusRussian Federation-CiscaucasiaCiscaucasia Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIran n.w.Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaTurkey  Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeMoldova   
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeUkraine incl. Krym 
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeAustria  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeBelgium  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeCzechoslovakia  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeGermany  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeHungary  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeNetherlands  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropePoland  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeSwitzerland  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeNorthern EuropeIreland  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeNorthern EuropeNorway s.e.Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeNorthern EuropeSweden s.w.Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeNorthern EuropeUnited Kingdom  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeAlbania  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeBulgaria  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeFormer Yugoslavia  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeGreece  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeItaly  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeRomania  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeFrance  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropePortugal  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeSpain  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
2Cultivated    also cult. 
4NaturalizedAfricaMacaronesiaPortugalAzores  
4NaturalizedAfricaSouthern AfricaSouth Africa  Henderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustralia  Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
4NaturalizedAustralasiaNew ZealandNew Zealand   
4NaturalizedNorthern America United States   
Native
Africa
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Morocco
Asia-Temperate
  • WESTERN ASIA: Iran (n.w.), Turkey
  • CAUCASUS: Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia [Ciscaucasia], Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
Europe
  • NORTHERN EUROPE: United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway (s.e.), Sweden (s.w.)
  • MIDDLE EUROPE: Czechoslovakia, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland
  • EASTERN EUROPE: Moldova, Ukraine (incl. Krym)
  • SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Former Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Romania
  • SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain, France, Portugal
Cultivated (also cult.)
Naturalized
Africa
  • MACARONESIA: Portugal [Azores]
  • SOUTHERN AFRICA: South Africa
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia
  • NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand
Northern America
  • REGION: United States

Reference(s)
  1. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
  2. Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
  3. Henderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12
  4. Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
  5. Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
  6. Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
  7. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalboundary/barrier/support Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Environmentalornamental Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Medicinesfolklore Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Cooper, M. R. & A. W. Johnson. 1998. Poisonous plants and fungi in Britain: animal and human poisoning Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Lampe, K. F. & M. A. McCann. 1985. AMA handbook of poisonous and injurious plants Note: poisonous
Weedseed contaminantpotentialLazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia
Weedseed contaminantpotentialWeber, E. 2003. Invasive plant species of the world: a reference guide to environmental weeds
Weedseed contaminantpotentialHenderson, L. 2001. Alien weeds and invasive plants: a complete guide to declared weeds and invaders in South Africa. Plant Protection Research Institute, Handbook 12
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=22101. Accessed 14 April 2026.