Wavy Leaf Ligustrum

Ligustrum japonicum ‘Recurvifolium’

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7a-11 Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Evergreen Flowering Shrub or Small Tree

Height at Maturity: 5-12′, depending on pruning

Width at Maturity: 5-10′, depending on pruning

Spacing: 4-6′ for solid hedges; 12’+ for space between plants with no pruning

Flower Color: White

Flower Size: Small

Flowering Period: Spring

Flower Type: Single

Fragrant Flowers: Yes

Foliage Color: Glossy Dark green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: Yes

Berry Color: Black

Sun Needs: Full Sun to Part Shade

Water Needs: Average, Low when established

Soil Type: Clay (amended), Loam, Sand (amended), Silt

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist

Soil pH: 6.0 – 8.0 (Moderately Acid to Moderately Alkaline)

Maintenance / Care: Low, Average to High if grown as clipped hedge

Attracts: Visual Attention

Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Drought (when established), Heat, Humidity, Insect

Description

Commonly called Recurve or Wavy Leaf Ligustrum, Ligustrum japonicum ‘Recurvifolium’ is a tough and adaptable fast-growing evergreen flowering shrub which makes an excellent hedge as low as 5 feet or lower branches can be removed to form a very attractive small tree. Fragrant white flower clusters are produced in abundance during spring followed by black berries that are enjoyed by the birds. The arrow-shaped, dark green leaves are waxy and wavy, providing rich color and unique texture in the landscape.

Landscape & Garden Uses

If you’re looking to create a natural or clipped hedge or privacy screen it doesn’t get much better than the Wavy Leaf Ligustrum. This shrub can be left to grow naturally to 10 feet or so in height, or responds very well to shearing for hedges that can be maintained at 5 feet or more in height. As this Ligustrum grows, lower branches can be removed to form a very attractive evergreen flowering focal point specimen tree for use in landscape borders and home foundation plants. A fine addition to fragrance gardens, white theme gardens, Asian theme gardens, and the Xeriscape (low water needs).

Suggested Spacing: 4 to 6 feet apart for solid hedges; 12 feet or more apart for space between plants

Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a, where this Ligustrum variety is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.

Growing Preferences

Wavy Leaf Ligustrum is exceptionally easy to grow in most any moist but well drained soil of average fertility and full sun to light shade. Exceptionally drought tolerant when established. Constantly soggy or wet soils can cause problems with the roots. It prefers a moist but well drained soil in full sun to light shade. Highly resistant to deer, disease, heat, humidity, and insects. No pruning necessary, however can be pruned as a formal hedge or small tree.

Helpful Articles

Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts for how to plant and care for Ligustrum and Privet shrubs.

How To Plant Ligustrum & Privet Plants

How To Fertilize Ligustrum And Privet Plants

How To Prune Ligustrum And Privet

Plant Long & Prosper!

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The plants arrived beautifully packed, and appear to be in excellent health.——————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

Plants arrived, healthy, beautifully packaged, and ready to plant! Can’t wait to see how they do in my yard. Customer service was great answering all my questions. Thanks!—————————————————————We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

I bought these hoping that they will grow to block a building next door. They arrived healthy, so far they are doing good. All the plants I buy here are great, and like the condition they come in.———————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy them for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG

This Ligustrum has large — shiny — deep green leaves. It is a beautiful bush. Mine arrived on time, well packaged, and very healthy looking. It is a perfectly shaped potted bush. I will plant it along a fence line. If it does well here, I will definitely purchase more next year. I have about 100 feet of fence I want to hide. Each year I try to add 1 or 2 bushes to the line. If I see this Ligustrum survives the brutal SE Texas summer, I may purchase 3 next year! Thank you Wilson Bros for sending such beautiful plants. I have never been disappointed by any purchase from Wilson Bros.———————-Thanks for the great review! Beth | WBG