Common Privet Winter Damage

18 years ago

We planted a long privet hedge along our property line for privacy. We wanted something fast growing but could not spent a lot of money. We planted small bare root bushes approx 12" tall, basically twigs, the summer before last. So the plants have been in the ground for two winters now. After the first winter the plants grew to a nice 24" high hedge. Better than we expected from these little twigs. However, most of the growth came from below the snow line. The top of the plant seemed to have frozen off. That was not much of a surprise since the top was very thin and didn't have any winter protection. For this winter we expected better since the new growth managed to get finger thick last summer. However, the bushes are just growing from the bottom again, the top doesn't look dead (except the very tip). But it doesn't grow leaves. Some plants that managed to push some green buds out actually abandoned the leaves on the top again and just grow from the bottom.

The plants were sold to us as Common Privets. I'm a little confused about the hardiness rating but most sites show them as hardy in zone 5. I even found one web site that listed them hardy for zone 2. Anyway, we expected this bush to make it in our area but it looks like the top growth dies off every winter. Is this normal for Chicago?

Does anybody else in Z5 have experience with the Common Privet? How does it usually perform?

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Comments (3)

prairiegirlz5
18 years ago
I don't have privet myself, but they are commonly subject to twig blight. Planting a resistant cultivar, like Amur Privet, may be the way to go?
kimcoco
18 years ago
Hi Jerry, we just planted some privets (Amur cultivar, I believe) for the same reason, and according to my research, for every 12 inches of growth each year, you should cut back 6 inches. This will allow them to fill in nicely into a hedge form. Perhaps by cutting them back, this will solve your dilemma with poor growth on the top. Good luck. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping mine grow nicely as this is the first growing season!
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11 years ago
Privet may be cold hardy to zone 2 but that probably implies "root hardy". The past two years in the Cleveland, Ohio landscape it has dipped down past -10 degrees. We are in zone 5b. We have all kinds of damaged privet hedges. Cut them back to the ground or two to three feet from the ground. They will flush back from the roots. Privet roots are strong and hardy. They actually graft some lilacs onto privet rootstock, or atleast they used to. Privet usually benefits from being cut way down every few years. Oversheared shrubs tend to die out easily. If your privet dies out you may want to look if you planted them too high, or if you have a little microclimate going on. Low laying areas, or areas exposed to winter winds can cause more winter damage. Look for other causes like salt damage or mulch them in fall.