Forestiera segregata (Florida Privet)

Forestiera segregata (Florida Privet) is a large, evergreen shrub or small, much-branched tree with a densely foliated, irregular crown of small, oblong to elliptic, dark, glossy green leaves, 1-2 in. long (2-5 cm). Evergreen, the leaves are sometimes shed in the winter as the new flush of growth begins. Blooming in the winter and early spring, tiny, yellowish corolla-less flowers appear singly or in clusters of 3-4 along the branches. Pollinated by bees, they give way to a profusion of black berries that ripen in the spring and summer. Birds and other wildlife consume the fruit and use the privet for cover. Florida Privet is dioecious, with male and female flowers on different plants. The smooth and pale gray bark becomes rough with age due to raised lenticels, and turns a patchwork of pale yellow, brown and green. Relatively maintenance free once established, drought and salt tolerant, Florida Privet is an excellent landscape plant and may be used as a specimen or hedge.

• Grows up to 10-15 ft. tall (300-450 cm) and 5-10 ft. wide (150-300 cm).
• Easily grown in sandy, loamy or calcareous, dry to moist, well-drained soils in full sun or light shade. Tolerates nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive. Drought tolerant once established. Florida Privet does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water, but can tolerate moderate amounts of salt wind without injury.
• Great for hedges and for screening. Excellent for slope erosion or for shorelines.
• No serious pest or disease issues.
• Can be pruned or trimmed to control shape or size
• Propagation by seed.
• Native to the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, including Puerto Rico and the Cayman Islands, the Lesser Antilles, including Anguilla, and Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina in the United States.