Shrub Removal: Gummi Berry (Elaeagnus multiflora)

This past week, we removed a long-time arboretum resident: one of our two Gummi Berry shrubs. One of the few intentionally-planted non-native species, these two specimens have been in the arboretum since 1997. That's nearly thirty years, older than most students on campus! When we covered these shrubs in 2019, both were healthy and prosperous. We last studied them in 2021, when they were providing some tasty treats to the Centenary squirrel population.

Entropy and time have worked together to compromise the health of one shrub. Ants and termites were present, chewing rotten wood and churning up the earth around the base of the shrub. Green leaves were still present, but three-quarters or more of the branches were bone-dry and naked. A colony of our small native black ants had taken up residence in its center. At this point, the main option presenting itself is removal.

Bare, brittle branches of the gummi berry (Elaeagnus multiflora) are pictured here. This shrub was planted as a pair, purchased from Mr. Sherwood Akin in 1997.

We see mostly dead branches, although there are a few green leaves.

During removal, the trunk of the shrub spontaneously split open, revealing plenty of rich dirt, termites, and ants where only healthy wood and roots should be.

The shrub has been converted into a large pile of branches, twigs, and poles.

Post-cleanup, only the small green sign remains, and it has since been moved over to the remaining shrub. 

We now have an opening in the landscape, and there are several months and two full seasons to think about what to plant here. 

 

Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense)

Let's take a moment to reflect on plants' names. Some are very straightforward: red oak, white oak. Others, such as salt matrimony vine, are, to say the least, a bit complicated. But what, exactly, is meant by the simple name Privet? Many sources agree that the plant has an unfavorable odor. It is variously described as resembling rotting hay or having a sickly sweet smell. Does the name Privet derive from the old-fashioned word "privy," referring to an outhouse? When in doubt, consult the 1933 edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, which contains etymologies and early appearances for its entries. From William Turner's 1548 Names of Herbes: "Ligustrum is called in greek Cypros, in englishe Prim Print or Priuet [privet]." Unfortunately this citation doesn't tell us what Privet means, and the extra information only adds additional question marks. Let's move on quickly....

Privet has a lot going for it; this plant is resilient, vigorous, and fertile. To our detriment, it is not native to the southeastern United States, having originally been imported from East Asia in the mid-1850s. Privet has been taking over real estate from our native species since it went feral in the first half of the 20th century. Conservationists have been unable to roll back its rapid colonization of the backcountry. If you're the kind of driver that takes your eyes off the road then you've definitely seen large stands of this invasive species along the interstates and highways.

Privet has thrived in our volunteer recruitment zone. Because of its non-native status, it was easy making the decision to remove privet from this area.

 

This is our volunteer recruitment zone. In our last post, we discussed the removel of groundsel (Baccharis halimifolia), and this week we are cutting down all of the privet (Ligustrum sinense). From this angle, we still can't tell that much has been removed.

This is a collection of privet shrubs removed from the volunteer recruitment zone. The tallest privet measured was nine feet in length. While it may reach twenty feet or taller, most full-grown privet measure between five and fifteen feet. Ours had probably reached its limit given the available sunlight.

Leaves are opposite, oval, and a thoroughly flat green.

Our privet twig shows variation in leaf size.

We see some leaf shape variation. One of the those leaves looks almost like a circle.

So long privet shrubs! Next week, we hope to further reduce the wildness of our volunteer recruitment zone, and perhaps we will choose an individual or two to add to the permanent collection.

 

For additional information about privet, please see the following three articles from the LSU AG Center:

Chinese Privet

Dealing with Privet 

Privet, A biological invader in Louisiana's Forests