I, too, have this plant on my property. Several were installed, probably 10 years ago when the house was built, to hide the ac/heating unit. I saw no berries last Fall, either and I have only found one seedling on the property so I suspect these are not the invasive ones. They're definitely not as invasive as the Ornamental Pear trees lining my neighbor's drive. Those seedlings are everywhere.
Many builders, unfortunately, don't seem to care what they plant as long as it is cheap.
The silver lining to these Ligustrum plants is that the foliage is great for adding to floral arrangements.

This one is the Waxleaf Ligustrum, the japanese one (Ligustrum japonicum). It is still considered invasive but of course is still sold and used by many. Since there are no laws to prevent the sale of ligustrum, nurseries still propagate it and sell it. Due in part to the demand for evergreen plants and also due to ignorance, many designers still use it and the average homeowner still buys it. It is easy to propagate and a very profitable product. Especially as houses are built on smaller and smaller lots, people are clamoring for evergreen screening plants.

Some people think that if it is in the store, it must be ok to use. Otherwise, why would the store sell it?

My neighborhood is about 20 years old and several people have large waxleaf ligustrum as original plantings. You can see plants that have sprung up over the years in nearby areas (most people have a "natural" area as part of their yard in this neighborhood). Folks have allowed these volunteers to remain, either due to neglect or because they don't know better, now contributing to the problem themselves as these start to flower and fruit. This is how the spread occurs, a bit at a time, the amount and reach building up over time. You don't see it happen overnight.

For folks that use these as a sheared hedge, the problem is controlled as long as they shear the flowers off before they become fruit.

I use them in my yard as a sheared hedge and as topiaries. They get pruned quite often during the growing season and I do not allow them to fruit.

I still love the look of Ligustrum in a formal garden and have no problems with it as I cut off the blooms.

The nursery I bought them from advises his customers to cut off the blooms to prevent seeding.

We purchased the home 3 years ago. We moved into the house in July and the shrubs were just in foliage. This is the first year, I've ever seen flowers on them, party because of the drought maybe?? I never water them, considering them to be established plantings.

If they've never flowered before, is that why I've never seen berries??? Obviously, I'll have my husband trim them back now. And lastly, as long as I keep them pruned back, they are okay to keep? In other words, if they were on your property would you remove them?? And how do you discard them?? Do they have to be burned?????

Again, thank you for your assistance.

And lastly, as long as I keep them pruned back, they are okay to keep? In other words, if they were on your property would you remove them?? And how do you discard them??

I think keeping them pruned back is very responsible. The only thing I would ask is what will you do when you move one day? Will the people after you take that approach or let them bloom and fruit? If they leave them alone then you have left behind an invasive plant.

If they were on my property, I'd get rid of them. Maybe not the first year, but I'd start thinking about it and what I'd do differently in that spot.

No, you don't have to burn them. You can just cut them up and discard them the same as any yard waste. I'd leave them long enough to make sure they were dead before I put them in the trash/yard waste bin. These guys are incredibly resilient and able to resprout if they are given a chance.

I appreciate your taking the time to consider this. You are ahead of the average person in this regard. Sometimes I feel like the most outspoken person in the southeast about ligustrum, but I think that people need to be educated.

esh ga,
Your feelings about Ligustrum are the same as my feelings about the Tree of Heaven.

Now I know why I've only found one sport on my property - the previous owners pruned every shrub in the yard. I've already removed several with a chain saw as they were much too big for the area where they were planted. Now I have an excuse to cut the rest.
Do Buford Holly berries seed themselves everywhere, too? There are over 20 of those shrubs planted on purpose all over the yard by someone prior to me. The last thing I need is more.

Ah, Paulownia! I wish I had some. It's much more interesting than all the boring Sweet Gums and the Beeches are the worst.
I'm about to cut some down.

bumblebeez,
I wish I had Paulownia trees, too.
The tree of Heaven I mean is Chinese Sumac. I hate, hate, hate it!
It spreads by runners and when cut, has this nasty onion smell. It is actually called the Stink Tree! LOL
It is just plain ugly and takes over.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chinese Sumac ( Stink Tree)

Ugh...there is one growing in my neighbors unkept yard. They cut down all their trees and there is a huge one that is growing wild right in the middle of it. I want to commit a botanical felony against that plant. It reseeds everywhere in my beds.

I believe Buford holly is a form of Ilex cornuta. I have not heard of any problems with seedlings on that one.

Beeches are the worst

Why? I find them to be quite beautiful and love the effect of their keeping leaves in the winter. They look like lace from a distance. With time, they grow into majestic trees with huge trunks.

Now, don't get ME started on red maples .... I got a zillion of those water-hogging upstarts.

I love red maples! Oh well, that's what makes the world go 'round.
I do like beeches way down in the forest behind our house, but the ones in the woodland edge surrounding the house are very annoying because of the leaf drop thing. Everything is all ready for spring- all fallen leaves cleaned up, fresh mulch down and all I can think about is the bucket load of leaves on all the beeches that in April have still not dropped!
I hand pick them out of all my perennials and shrubs.

Our landscaper planted Swift's Creek, variegated. I've kept it trimmed back, but the deer eat it, too. I've not seen any signs of "strays" of that variety showing up anywhere so far. I've even offered them for free to anyone who will come dig them! I fortunately don't have any of the wax leaf.

Ligustrum is a major problem where I live. I have cut back, sprayed, repeated these actions, and much of it still comes back! In my rescue efforts in the wild here in the Piedmont, I have seen it form thickets where nothing else will grow. Remember, the definition of an invasive includes the fact that the plants change the ecosystem of an area, and that is what ligustrum does. Over time hardly anything else will be growing in the area. As Esh said, it takes time. Invasive does not just mean a very happy plant that tends to spread easily.