Golden Leaved Privet (ligustrum ovalifolium 'Aureum')

• Semi-evergreen shrub with striking oval leaves boldly margined in bright yellow/golden and green centres, providing vibrant year-round colour (brighter in full sun).
• Popular for dense formal or informal hedging (1–4m tall), offering excellent privacy, wind shelter, and noise reduction.
• Produces fragrant white summer flowers attracting bees/pollinators and black autumn berries for birds; RHS Award of Garden Merit winner.
• Highly tolerant of urban pollution, coastal conditions, shade, and most well-drained soils; hardy and low-maintenance once established.
• Fast-growing (20–40cm/year) and responds well to clipping; versatile for screens, borders, or specimen planting.

Planting Guide

• Best time: Bare-root November–March (dormant season); container-grown autumn or spring.
• Location: Full sun (for best colour) to partial shade; moist but well-drained soil (tolerates most types except very wet); suitable for exposed, coastal, or urban sites.
• Preparation: Dig hole twice root width; add organic matter to poor soils; for hedges, space 30–45cm apart (single row) or staggered double row.
• Planting: Set at original depth (check trunk soil mark); firm in, water well, mulch base (keep clear of trunk) to control weeds and conserve soil moisture.
• Aftercare: Water well first few years in dry spells; trim 1–2 times yearly (summer/autumn for hedges); minimal feeding needed; semi-evergreen – may drop leaves in harsh winters but recovers quickly.