The Texas Privet (Ligustrum japonicum ‘Texanum’) is a widely used evergreen shrub, valued for its dense foliage and suitability for formal hedges and privacy screens. Understanding the specific rate at which this plant grows is helpful for gardeners, as this speed directly influences landscape design, maintenance commitment, and long-term care planning. This information provides practical insights into the shrub’s growth metrics and necessary cultivation practices.
Quantifying the Typical Growth Rate
The Texas Privet is categorized as a fast-growing shrub, demonstrating a growth rate of approximately one to two feet per year under typical conditions. This rate is most apparent in younger, established plants actively putting energy into vertical growth to quickly fill out a hedge or screen.
This consistent annual increase allows the shrub to reach a substantial mature size. If left unpruned, the Texas Privet commonly achieves a mature height of between six and ten feet, though some specimens may reach up to 15 feet. The corresponding mature width ranges from four to eight feet, creating the dense form desirable for screening applications.
The one to two feet per year metric positions the Texas Privet as a moderate to fast performer, sufficient to establish a functional privacy hedge in just a few seasons. This potential sets the expectation for the maintenance schedule required to keep the shrub within defined landscape boundaries.
Environmental Factors That Influence Speed
Cultivation practices directly impact whether the Texas Privet achieves the upper or lower end of its growth potential. Sunlight exposure is a major determinant of growth vigor. While the shrub tolerates partial shade, its most robust and fastest growth occurs when planted in an area that receives full sun exposure for at least six hours daily.
Consistent water availability, especially during the establishment phase, promotes faster growth. Although the Texas Privet is drought-tolerant once mature, newly planted shrubs require deep, regular watering to fuel initial root and shoot development. Providing consistent moisture, without allowing the soil to become waterlogged, encourages rapid expansion.
The shrub tolerates a wide range of soil types and pH levels but requires well-drained soil, as it will not tolerate standing water. Applying a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in the early spring provides the necessary nutrients. This supports vigorous new growth throughout the season, pushing the growth rate toward the two-foot annual maximum.
Pruning Requirements Driven by Rapid Growth
The Texas Privet’s rapid growth requires a demanding pruning schedule to maintain a tidy, dense form. Unlike slower-growing shrubs, the Privet typically needs to be cut back two to four times per growing season. This frequency manages the rapid production of new shoots, especially during the peak periods of spring and early summer.
The technique used for pruning encourages density and prevents the shrub from becoming sparse or “leggy.” Regular shearing, the standard practice for formal hedges, stimulates branching and results in a compact, leafy exterior. Removing growing tips effectively redirects the plant’s energy into lateral development, making the hedge thicker.
When shaping a formal hedge, prune the shrub so the base is slightly wider than the top, creating an A-shape profile. This technique ensures sunlight reaches the lower leaves, promoting uniform growth and preventing lower branches from dying back. For a more natural appearance, selective thinning—cutting individual branches back to a main stem—is preferred, as it avoids the appearance of cut leaves created by shearing.
The optimal time for the first major pruning is in late winter or early spring before the new growth flush begins. Subsequent light trimmings should occur after the flowering period in mid-spring and then as needed throughout the summer to manage size. Stop pruning in late autumn to allow new growth to “harden off,” or become woody, before winter frost.