Winter twig

The opposite leaves are long, oval, pointed and leathery. They are hairless, shiny above and paler below and have very short stalks.

ID check

Wild Privet is a deciduous or somewhat evergreen shrub, 3-4 m high with smooth, dark stems is often found in hedges, scrub and woodland margins. It grows mainly on dry, lime-rich, soils.

The young twigs are slightly hairy.

Conical clusters of white, strongly scented, 4-petalled, tubular flowers, 4-6mm across, appear at the end of stems in June and July.

The flowers develop into berries, black when ripe in September and October.

Facts

• The dense, partially evergreen shrub gives good cover for birds in winter and the berries provide food for them.

• The leaves are the main food of the caterpillars of the Privet Hawk Moth.

• The fragrant flowers attract pollinating insects.