Waxleaf Privet Hedge for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by Mary Van Keuren | Gardener (30+ Years Experience) – last update on April 13, 2022

Planting instructions

Site your waxleaf privet where it will receive at least six hours of sun, in soil that drains well. If you are planting multiple privets as a hedge, place them about 4 to 6 feet from each other. Unpot the plant, teasing out any encircling roots so they don’t girdle the tree and kill it slowly. Dig a hole that’s as deep as the root ball and twice as wide. Place the bush in the hole and fill in around it with a good quality topsoil. Water thoroughly. Place a 2- to 3-inch layer of an organic mulch, such as bark chips, around the root zone, taking care that it doesn’t touch the trunk.

Watering and nutrients

During your waxleaf privet hedge’s first year, water thoroughly every three to four days so that the root system has a chance to develop. After that, you can determine if it needs water by checking the soil about 2 inches below the surface. If it’s dry there, give it water. Fertilize with a slow-release, balanced fertilizer before new growth begins in the spring.

Pollination

The waxleaf privet hedge flowers in spring with a profusion of small white blooms, which are a treat to most pollinators, including butterflies and bees. Pollinated flowers turn into small dark blue berries in fall. These berries are eagerly eaten by songbirds, although they are poisonous for humans. Keep in mind that a tree that is tightly pruned into a topiary form may not have many flowers because new growth has been pruned out.

Pruning

Pruning your waxleaf privet is your personal choice. The plant has a pleasing, rounded form if left unpruned. But it can also be trimmed closely into a sphere, pyramid, or any shape that you wish. Keep in mind that extreme pruning will lead to less flowering. Even if you decide not to prune your privet, you should still monitor it so that you can remove dead, diseased, or damaged branches when you see them.

Pests, diseases, and animals

The waxleaf privet hedge is fairly care-free, but there are a few things to watch for. Thrips and mites may cause yellowing of the leaves, but they shouldn’t bother a healthy hedge. Soil nematodes are roundworms that may be prevalent in the soil and can cause dieback. Keep your hedge well-fertilized and watered to deter them. Verticillium wilt may also impact your bushes, causing yellowing of the leaves and branch dieback. If you think your plants are suffering from it, consult an arborist. There is no cure or treatment, and you will need to prune out infected areas or, in severe cases, remove the whole plant.

Achieving maximum results

The waxleaf privet hedge grows beautifully outdoors in USDA hardiness zones 7 to 11. But gardeners from Maine to Minnesota can easily grow the bush, too, in containers that are brought inside in the winter. Choose an ornamental container for your bush that has good drainage and is roughly twice the size of the plant’s root ball. Pot-grown privets don’t need a lot of extra care, but keep an eye on the level of moisture in the soil. Waxleaf privets are not drought-resistant and may need to be watered every few days, especially during hot days in summer. You can keep the privet the size you want by pruning it each year in late winter. Bring the plant indoors whenever your temperatures are predicted to go below 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

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