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European privet (Ligustrum vulgare)

European privet outcompetes native plants and can reduce yields in pastures, orchards and forestry. Its leaves and berries are poisonous to livestock and can be mildly toxic to people if eaten in large amounts.

Key facts

Type: Weed, shrub.

Native to: Southern Europe and northern Africa.

Established in: QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS, SA.

Best time to act: Treat plants while they are actively growing and remove seedlings and young trees before they produce seed.

Identification

  • It is a deciduous or semi-deciduous, multi-stemmed shrub that can grow up to 5 m tall.
  • Its dark green, shiny leaves grow in opposite pairs and are 2–6 cm long and 0.8–2.5 cm wide.
  • Its white or cream, strongly scented flowers are tubular with four lobes and appear in spring and summer.
  • Its berries are shiny black to blue-black when ripe, usually contain two seeds and are 3–10 mm long.
  • Young stems have fine hairs, while older stems have smooth grey-brown bark with white pores called lenticels.
  • Look-alike: Narrow-leaf privet (Ligustrum sinense) is evergreen and has a finely hairy midrib on the underside of the leaf; its leaves may have wavy edges.
  • Look-alike: Broad-leaf privet (Ligustrum lucidum) is an evergreen tree up to 15 m tall, with larger leaves measuring 4–13 cm long and 3–6 cm wide.

Where it grows

In NSW it occurs in the Northern Tablelands, Central Tablelands, Greater Sydney, Riverina and South East, usually at higher altitudes and in moist, fertile soils, especially riparian areas.

Why it matters

  • It outcompetes native plants and can reduce yields in pastures, orchards and forestry.
  • Its leaves and fruit are poisonous to cattle, sheep and horses; poisoning can cause regurgitation, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, drowsiness, weakness in the back legs and, in severe cases, death.
  • Eating large amounts of its berries or leaves can be mildly toxic to people; eating berries may cause abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
  • Contact with leaves or berries can irritate skin or eyes, and the flower perfume may cause respiratory irritation.

How it spreads

  • Seeds germinate after cold temperatures and are spread when birds and other animals eat the fruit, or by flowing water.
  • The plant regenerates from roots and stems, and stems in dumped floral arrangements can grow into plants.

Control options

  • Remove seedlings and young trees before they produce seed; small seedlings can be pulled out after rain and larger plants can be dug out.
  • For dense stands, earth-moving machinery or slashing can reduce plant numbers, but these methods will not eradicate privet and can cause soil disturbance.
  • Minimise soil disturbance where possible, revegetate bare or treated areas with suitable species, and check for and treat seedlings or regrowth.
  • Registered herbicides can be applied using suitable methods such as spot spraying, basal barking, cut stump or stem injection; follow the product label and permit directions.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Do not dump floral arrangements containing privet stems, as the stems can grow into plants.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Regional priority in 1 of 11 regions. Regional priority weed in Central Tablelands. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Not declared. Not declared under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Other laws may still apply.
  • Western Australia: Not listed. Not found in the Western Australian Organism List. Check with DPIRD before moving or keeping it.
  • Tasmania: Not declared. Not a declared weed in Tasmania. Other laws may still apply.
  • Northern Territory: Check NT list. There is no NT weed profile for it. Check the NT declared weeds list for its current status.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Australian Capital Territory: Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT), administered by ACT Biosecurity
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria
  • Tasmania: Biosecurity Act 2019 (Tas), administered by Biosecurity Tasmania
  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board

Sources