What are the other names for privet? A detailed introduction to its common aliases

Flowers & Gardening Jan 1, 1970 0 views

Privet is graceful in all four seasons, with spreading branches and dense foliage in a neat tree form, making it a commonly used ornamental tree species in gardens. Because it is highly adaptable, grows fast, tolerates pruning well, and is easy to propagate from seed, it is also a good choice for potted plants at home.

Other names for privet

Pointed-leaf privet, also called white wax tree, wintergreen, wax tree, nuzhen, zhenmu, and general tree.

Growth habits of privet

Privet has good cold resistance and tolerates waterlogging. It prefers a warm, humid climate and likes sunlight while tolerating shade. It is a deep-rooted tree species with well-developed fibrous roots, fast growth, strong sprouting ability, and tolerance to pruning, but it does not tolerate poor, thin soil.

It has strong resistance to air pollution, with strong resistance to sulfur dioxide, chlorine gas, hydrogen fluoride, and lead vapor, and it can also endure high levels of dust and soot pollution.

It is not strict about climate requirements and can withstand low temperatures of -12°C, but it is suitable for planting in humid, wind-sheltered, sunny places, especially growing well in deep, fertile soil with high humus content.

The flower language of privet

The fruit of privet has the characteristic of not falling from the branches throughout the entire winter. When birds have no feed and are suffering from hunger, the fruit of the wintergreen tree can just sustain life. Therefore, the flower language of the wintergreen tree is life.

The value of privet

Ornamental value: Privet can be planted alone or in groups in courtyards, and can also be used as a street tree. Because it is highly adaptable, grows fast, and tolerates pruning, it is also used as a hedge. Generally, after 3 to 4 years it can take shape and achieve a screening effect.

Medicinal value: After privet leaves are soaked for 24 hours, fragrant wintergreen oil can be extracted by distillation. It is often added to sweets and toothpaste.

Common varieties of privet

1. Tall-stem privet / wintergreen tree

It is an evergreen large shrub or tree, with grayish-brown bark that is smooth and not cracked. The leaves are 8-12 cm long, leathery and glossy, and remain green through winter. It has the function of retaining dust and resisting smoke, can absorb sulfur dioxide, and is suitable for factory and urban greening. It is one of the rare evergreen broad-leaved tree species in the north.

2. Large-leaf privet (large-leaf privet ball / large-leaf privet tree / Dafeng large-leaf privet base variety)

Deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub, with spreading branches and short pubescence on the branchlets. Leaves thin leathery, elliptical to obovate-oblong, hairless, apex obtuse, base cuneate, margin entire, edges slightly recurved outward; petioles have short pubescence. Paniculate inflorescences; flowers white, fragrant, sessile, corolla lobes equal in length to the tube; anthers exceed the corolla lobes. Drupe elliptical, purplish-black. Flowering period July--August.

3. Golden-leaf privet (golden-leaf privet ball / golden-leaf privet tree / tall-stem golden-leaf privet)

Golden-leaf privet has golden-yellow leaf color, and the color is even more brilliant and beautiful, especially in spring and autumn. Golden-leaf privet likes light, has relatively poor shade tolerance, moderate cold resistance, and strong adaptability. It is not strict about soil requirements, but loose, fertile, well-aerated sandy loam is best. It is used for forming characters or patterns in green squares and can also be used for small courtyard decoration.

4. Red-leaf privet (purple-leaf privet)

Evergreen small tree, with simple opposite leaves, branchlets slightly downy, leaves ovate, ovate to ovate-elliptic, thin leathery. The leaf shape is very similar to that of small-leaf privet, with stronger sprouting ability and faster growth and vigorous growth. Its new shoots and young leaves are purplish-red, and against the old leaves they appear even more vivid and dazzling. If pruned several times, the new branches become dense and the entire crown appears purplish-red, making it even more gorgeous and striking among green plant clusters. After winter begins, the whole plant turns purplish-black again, making it even more conspicuous among all things.

5. Variegated privet

6. Red-fruit privet (red-fruit wintergreen)

Distributed in the high-cold region of the Luoxiao Mountains at 1500 m, evergreen shrub or small tree, 5-7 m tall, young branches and pedicels purplish-red, leaves elliptical, 6-8 cm long and 3-4 cm wide, light purplish-red. In areas of Beijing with a favorable microclimate, it can be grown entirely in the open field, and it can resist sulfur dioxide, chlorine gas, and hydrogen oxide. It grows normally in slightly alkaline soil with a pH of 8-9.