Oval-leaved privet vs Wild privet

In the colder winters of Central Europe you cannot count on year-round screening: it drops its leaves in hard frost and shoots of young, not yet established plants may die back, although it resprouts in spring. Yellow variegated forms can be scorched after their first winters. It is notably susceptible to honey fungus, and powdery mildew, leaf spots and aphids occur. It does not tolerate waterlogging. In favourable spots it can seed itself around.

In Central Europe it is semi-evergreen only in mild winters and sheltered spots: in hard frost it is almost bare, though it reliably leafs out again in spring. Because it grows fast, a tidy hedge needs at least two cuts a year, and the base goes bare if the hedge is wider at the top than at the bottom. Powdery mildew and leaf spot are common, anthracnose twig blight and root rot (in waterlogged soil) can do more serious damage, and aphids, privet hawk-moth caterpillars and weevils may feed on it. Seedlings come up in the garden from bird-sown seed and it also throws suckers. When in flower, its pollen and strong scent can trigger symptoms in people sensitive to the olive family (ash, olive), which you can prevent by clipping before it blooms.