Glossy Privet or just an Impostor?

  Down by the pier just on the edge of the property, a medium sized bush grows under an oak tree.  This shrub is known as Glossy Privet or Ligustrum Lucidum....I think...perhaps...I hope so anyway!  The shrub has been there as long as I can remember even before the Little Bayou House was built.  I remember this particular shrub simply because I was always fascinated by the thick heads of white blooms and their effect on certain folks.  I can remember Granddad telling me how a few visitors to his place (my grandparents lived on the Bayou long before I did) would start sneezing the moment they came in contact with the bush. Personally, I have never had that problem so I assume that allergies hit only certain folks.  I like the Privet Bush and all of its pollen-laden white flowers so it stays even though poor Mark is one of those folks who seem to be sneeze-prone when it is blooming. He understands and merely stays upwind of the bush.  

  I was looking at the list of invasive plants the other day and, lo and behold, my Glossy Privet was on that list!  I was aghast!  How can this shrub be invasive?  I had always imagined that to be considered "invasive" a plant needed to be able to spread with wild abandon!  My idea was that little sprouts would shoot up in the most inopportune places and soon take over an entire area.  This comes from the description of the most irritating of all "invasives" better known as Cogon Grass.  Now that junk is truly invasive as it is now the scourge of the South beating out the Kudzu Vine! (I have to admit...that is invasive!)  Anyway, like I said earlier, this shrub has been here long before I was even around which makes it as "old as the hills".  Not once have I seen a wee, little Privet showing its bright leaves about the hillside.  Why, I have even considered picking the berries to start a few more of the bushes but have never been able to beat the birds to them. As soon as the berries ripen, the birds devour them and obviously, after passing through the bird, not one of the seeds has sprouted.  I may have to try rooting some cuttings if I want more bushes.

  Now comes the kicker.  If this is true Glossy Privet and not some impostor, everyone might wish to grow them in their yards!  According to the WebMD site, Glossy Privet can be used as a remedy for any number of maladies from promoting hair growth to preventing certain cancers (by improving the immune system).  There are a number of good points about the use of Glossy Privet but, as far as studies go, only a few side effects with the number one being allergic reaction (like sneezing!).  To use the Glossy Privet for any remedy, I would need to get a positive identification (first and foremost!) and then beat the birds to the fruit!  It is the ripe berries that have all the good stuff in them that is helpful! So, now I need to find a botanist to identify my bush and perhaps it will become better liked by all of the inhabitants around here and not just me!  Why, my bush might just become high in demand!

Ahh-choo!

Just about this time every spring, Mark will have a few sneezing fits!  Ahh Choo!  Ahh Choo!  The pollen count is exceedingly high here on the Bayou but there is one bush in particular that usually causes his sneezes!  I have always heard tell that this is called Privet, a type of Ligustrum.  Most folks will recognize Privet as a hedge-type bush but mine grows wild and free!  I did not intentionally plant the shrubs.  Several hurricanes deposited bushes in the yard from parts unknown.  With other debris being more pressing in the need to clear, bushes of any sort are of least concern.  Needless to say, these plants all took root and soon became part of the landscape.  Like I said, they are wild and free which in my way of thinking is the best!  They never need trimming!  With spring comes the Privet blossoms.  Another fine point that folks who hedge their shrubs never see!  Personally, I like the Privet blooms.  The creamy white flowers bloom in fine, triangular-shaped clusters and add a bit of interest to the lower part of the yard.  Once you leave the upper part of the hillside and the intense spicy-sweet smell of the Jasmine, the pungent smell of the Privet begins to take over your senses.  In its own way, the Privet competes with the Jasmine.  Their aromas are in sharp contrast with one another..but in a good way.  One makes you appreciate the other.

Privet is actually not a local plant.  It comes from Asia where a good many of the plants that have adapted so well to our environment originated.  The plant was brought in by landscapers years and years ago to be used in hedgerows.  Now..they are on the invasive species list and without careful tending can spread with wild abandon.  Another drawback to growing them is the fact that the fruit of the Privet is toxic to a certain extent to humans.  The leaves and stems, however, are used a good bit in herbal medicines.  (Birds and wildlife do not seem to be bothered by the fruit and will readily eat the black fruit.)  Then..there is the pollen!  Folks like Mark have problems with allergies to this fine shrub.  The pollen can cause bouts of sneezing or even severe respiratory irritations.  I am one of the fortunate ones that can appreciate the beauty of the bush without the aggravating side effects.  I do pity those with allergy problems..the pollen count is unbelievable!