The new Sunshine Ligustrum (Ligustrum sinense ‘Sunshine’ PP20379) from the Southern Living Plant Collection completely reinvents the traditional Privet! It’s coveted for its vibrant golden-yellow, evergreen foliage. This is a true landscaping treasure, and once you know it, you’ll recognize it wherever you see it. New growth emerges as a delicate lime green, which does a phenomenal job of awakening the landscape from its winter slumber. This foliage will continuously intensify as spring turns into summer, at which point they will be a gleaming shade of gold. The more sunlight they get, the better. More sun produces more yellow leaves, while less sun results in more yellow-green foliage.
This Ligustrum proves itself to be incredibly versatile. Its compact and upright form makes for a tremendous natural hedge, no pruning required! At maturity, it reaches only 3-4′ wide by 3-6′ tall.
Consequently, it also lends itself to trimming, if that’s more your speed. Shape this beauty into uniform hedges or small topiaries.
Furthermore, the Sunshine’s petite, oval leaves are perfect for shaping into hard edges. Try a mass planting for a truly impressive display.
Besides being a true beauty, this shrub is drought and heat tolerant, as well as deer resistant. In ideal conditions, it lives up to 30 years!
Hardy from USDA Zones 6-10. Therefore, once fully established, it’s capable of withstanding temperatures between -5° and -10° F.
Plant this variety in Full Sun, with 6+ hours being preferable.
Ensure that your plant has well-draining soil. Ligustrum are particularly susceptible to root rot from standing water. Water new plantings 2-3 times per week for the first growing season to help them establish deep root systems.
Fertilize with a slow-release, balanced fertilizer yearly in spring. Alternatively, use a balanced organic fertilizer coupled with a layer of compost to get your plants off on the right foot.
Plant 2 to 2.5 feet apart for a seamless planting. For space between each plant, plant 4+ feet apart.
Still need some inspiration? Check out this Southern Living Plant Collection Garden Project featuring the Orange Rocket Barberry.
No! This plant is sterile. Therefore, it won’t flower or reproduce in your landscape. This is also good news for allergy sufferers that normally fall victim to ligustrum pollen.
Unfortunately, no. Although this plant isn’t invasive, it is still not legal for it to be shipped to Tennessee.
Sort of. It’s certainly not a deer’s preferred meal, however, it isn’t deer-proof. If a starving deer comes through your yard, it may still decide to munch on your Sunshine. Very few plants are genuinely safe from a particularly hungry deer. Boxwoods are one of the few exceptions, as deer tend to find them repulsive.
New, fresh growth tends to be more lime-green before maturing to yellow, so this could be the issue. However, if the growth isn’t new, oftentimes it’s because your plant isn’t getting enough sun. Try to provide at least 4 hours of direct sunlight. All-day filtered sun can work as well if the sunlight is very lightly filtered.
This is rare but it does happen from time to time. This plant was selectively cultivated from the traditional Ligustrum sinense to have the gorgeous color and compact growth habit that it’s known for. However, since it still has the original plants genetics in it, every once in a while, a branch may start to exhibit the traditional dark green color. If this happens, it’s easily fixed. Simply snip the green branch at its base, where it meets up with the correct yellow-leafed stems. The plant will fill in around it with the correct growth.
We love the Sunshine Ligustrum and we know you will too. We carefully grow these beauties to ensure they’re happy and healthy. Then, we pick out the best ones, carefully package them, and ship them straight to you. Not happy with your order? Contact us at 1-866-618-5659 or email us at [email protected]. We’ll quickly address your case and do whatever we can to make it right.
Pat Murphy (verified owner) –
First time customer and bought 6. Delivered in Houston in perfect shape. Their prices are very competitive and delivered to my door!
lhasapoo (verified owner) –
I ordered two of the 2.5 quart size. The plants arrived quickly and in good condition.