Border privet is a shrub from East Asia that has spread from hedges into roadsides and woods in the eastern U.S. Small white flowers appear in late spring, and birds spread the seeds after eating its dark fruits.
Appearance
Growth form
A , many-stemmed shrub, often about 7 ft (2 m) tall in Missouri. Young twigs may have short hairs.
Leaves
Paired, oval leaves about 1–2 in (2.5–5 cm) long with smooth edges.
Flowers
Small white, tube-shaped flowers in clusters. The scent can be unpleasant.
Flowering time
Blooms in May and June in Missouri.
Fruit
Small, dark, berrylike fruits develop in late summer in Missouri.
Both have paired leaves and white flower clusters. Border privet has a longer flower tube than common privet; close flower photos may help, but leaf-only photos are hard to separate.
California privet usually has smooth young twigs. Border privet often has short hairs on its young twigs; a close photo may be needed.
Where it lives
Typical habitats
roadsides
old fields
woodland edges
floodplain forests
Range
Native to eastern Asia. In the U.S. it has escaped in New England, the mid-Atlantic, and parts of Missouri.
Preferred conditions
Most common in disturbed places such as roadsides and old fields, but it can also take hold in woodlands and floodplain forests, where it can crowd native plants.
Flowering
Flowers May–Jun
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Flowers
Flowers May–Jun
Life cycle
Seed dispersal
Birds eat the fruit and spread the seeds, which is how hedges "escape" into nearby woods.