Privet Tree

19 years ago

I wanted to make a small tree out of a privet shrub--in order to get an evergreen broad-leaf tree. I've done that with a photinia on my patio and it's great--foliage year-round that looks good and gives me privacy from my neighbors. When I got the photinia it was already trained into a tree form.

So how do I do that with privet? I have a plant that is right now about three feet high. Also, will the privet sucker? If so, maybe I'd rather not use the privet. If I need to look for something else, does anyone have a suggestion for an evergreen shrub that can be made into a small tree that won't be suckering?

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Comments (2)

lucy
19 years ago
Go to www.bonsai4me.com and read articles - even if your privet (Ligustrum sinensis) is in the ground, you can still learn how to shape it and grow it to be more tree-like. Tip - don't cut off the lowest branch now - it'll help thicken the trunk, which will (after you do eventually prune branches and foliage properly) seem older in relation to the smaller new branches you'll get, and once you have the design in hand (could be a year or more) then if that lowest branch doesn't fit, you can then cut it off (they're often called 'sacrifices' for that reason).
cascadians
19 years ago
I was told that Portuguese Laurel could be trained as a lollipop tree.

Maybe an evergreen magnolia?
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