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Invasiveness Assessment - European privet (Ligustrum vulgare) in Victoria

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Plant invasiveness is determined by evaluating a plant’s biological and ecological characteristics against criteria that encompass establishment requirements, growth rate and competitive ability, methods of reproduction, and dispersal mechanisms.

Each characteristic, or criterion, is assessed against a list of intensity ratings. Depending upon information found, a rating of Low, Medium Low, Medium High or High is assigned to that criterion. Where no data is available to answer a criterion, a rating of medium (M) is applied. A description of the invasiveness criteria and intensity ratings used in this process can be viewed here.

The following table provides information on the invasiveness of European privet.

A more detailed description of the methodology of the Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method can be viewed below:

Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method (PDF - 630 KB)
Victorian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) method (DOC - 1 MB)
To view the information PDF requires the use of a PDF reader. This can be installed for free from the Adobe website (external link).

Common Name: European privet
Scientific name: Ligustrum vulgare

Question
Comments
Rating
Confidence
Establishment
Germination requirements?The species is not reported to have any additional requirements for propagation unless the seed has been stored and other similar Ligustrum sp. have been found to germinate on a seasonal basis (Blood 2001; Burrows & Kohen 1983; PFAF 2007). The species is therefore considered to be capable of germinating on a seasonal basis.
MH
MH
Establishment requirements?The species can establish under moderate shade conditions (Grubb et al 1996).
MH
H
How much disturbance is required?The species invades riparian vegetation (Carr, Yugovic & Robinson 1992). The species is therefore capable of establishing in minor disturbed environments.
MH
MH
Growth/Competitive
Life form?Other; a shrub to small tree (Webb, Sykes & Garnock-Jones 1988).
L
MH
Allelopathic properties?A similar species, L. lucidum is suspected of having allelopathic properties (Blood 2001).
M
L
Tolerates herb pressure?Obeso & Grubb (1993) found that this species is able to produce fruit after being defoliated to some extent.
The species is toxic to cattle, sheep and horses (Everist 1974). The species is therefore considered not to be a preferred browse species, and if it is browsed to still be able to sexually reproduce.
MH
H
Normal growth rate?The species is reported to have a medium growth rate (PFAF 2007). As it is also reported to crowd out native species and form dense thickets it is considered to have a growth rate similar to that of other of other competitive shrub species (Weber 2003).
MH
MH
Stress tolerance to frost, drought, w/logg, sal. etc?Can tolerate drought stress (Tattini et al 2004).
Tolerant of frost and can tolerate maritime exposure (PFAF 2007).
Able to grow at least partly in waterlogged soil (Obeso & Grubb 1993).
MH
MH
Reproduction
Reproductive systemThe species is reported to reproduce sexually producing seeds and vegetatively via suckers (Weber 2003).
H
MH
Number of propagules produced?Unknown; Other Ligustrum sp. have been reported to produce more than 2000 propagules per season.
M
L
Propagule longevity?The species seeds are considered to loose viability before five years (Shelton & Cain 2002).
L
H
Reproductive period?Unknown; Other Ligustrum sp. have been reported to live for more than 100 years.
M
L
Time to reproductive maturity?Unknown; Other Ligustrum sp. have been reported to take four years before flowering.
M
L
Dispersal
Number of mechanisms?The species has been spread by bird dispersed seed and commercially as an ornamental (Blood 2001; Weber 2003).
H
MH
How far do they disperse?Dispersal of more than 300 m of this species has been observed (Debussche & Isenmann 1994). The seeds of other Ligustrum sp. however have been reported to be dispersed by currawongs which have a dispersal range in excess of 1 km (Bass 1996; Panetta 2000; Spennemann & Allen 2000).
H
M


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