WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Ligustrum lucidum, WUCOLS IV

How often to water glossy privet in California

In July in the Central Valley, established glossy privet in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days: about 55 gallons each time under a 10 foot canopy, about 19 gallons a week. Glossy privet is a fast-growing evergreen shrub or small tree with glossy, pointed, dark green leaves. Creamy white flower plumes in late spring or early summer have a pungent scent, and blue-black berries follow and hang on into winter. Birds spread the seed, and it can be highly invasive, especially where soil stays moist.

TreeRated for 6 of 6 zones

How often to water glossy privet, month by month

Your city
Canopy width
10 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for glossy privet and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area under the branches, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure canopy width

A tree with its canopy width marked across the widest branches and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the branches, from the tips of the outer leaves on one side to the tips on the other. A tape works, or pace it out.

Water the whole circle under the branches, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that circle.

A wider canopy means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While the tree is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Dry soil 4 inches down at the drip line means glossy privet is ready for a deep soak
  • Leaves losing their gloss and dropping in a long, hot spell inland can show the roots are dry
  • Sticky leaves and white flecks underneath point to whiteflies or scale, not thirst
  • Seedlings springing up in moist beds nearby show how easily it spreads, a reason to keep watering modest
  • Yellowing leaves in soil that stays soggy point to poor drainage

How to water it

  • Water glossy privet along the drip line with drip or a soaker, not by spraying the canopy
  • Wet the soil about a foot deep, then let it dry several inches before the next watering
  • Plant in sun or part shade in most soils, including alkaline ones
  • Remove seedlings promptly and avoid keeping the surrounding beds wet
  • Shift emitters outward as the shrub broadens, and run them along both sides of a hedge

Through the seasons

Water a new glossy privet regularly through its first summer while roots spread. Once established, it gets by on little irrigation on the coast and in the Central Valley. Hotter inland and desert gardens call for steadier soil checks. The shrub is evergreen, flowers in late spring or early summer and holds its berries into winter. WUCOLS rates glossy privet low water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and on the south coast. In South Inland, the high desert and the low desert it rates moderate water.

In pots

Glossy privet can be kept in a large container as a clipped shrub. Use a pot with drainage holes and an ordinary, well-drained mix. In summer heat, check 2 inches down every few days and water when dry. Let water drain out and empty the saucer. Pinch off flower clusters or berries if you want to keep birds from spreading the seed. In winter, water only when the mix has dried.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
1.07gal per sq ft in JulyLow water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
6.84 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.761.52.33.00.16JAN0.26FEB0.43MAR0.61APR0.83MAY0.99JUN1.07JUL0.95AUG0.72SEP0.47OCT0.22NOV0.14DEC0.761.52.33.00.16JFM0.61AMJ1.07JAS0.47OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 1.07 in Jul, 6.84 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Glossy Privet: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.150.160.310.780.740.78
Feb0.210.260.320.870.930.93
Mar0.350.430.461.31.461.52
Apr0.470.610.561.611.891.95
May0.580.830.641.952.392.45
Jun0.640.990.692.292.852.79
Jul0.641.070.792.513.042.85
Aug0.60.950.742.332.792.6
Sep0.50.720.61.862.142.08
Oct0.350.470.461.331.461.49
Nov0.190.220.330.90.930.96
Dec0.120.140.260.680.650.68
Year4.86.846.218.4121.2721.08

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated low water in the Central Valley, like glossy privet. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Olive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyFig TreesFicus carica ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPomegranate TreesPunica granatumlow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyEucalyptusEucalyptus polyanthemoslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPine TreesPinus canariensislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyTexas Red OakQuercus buckleyilow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyPortuguese OakQuercus faginealow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySoapbark TreeQuillaja saponarialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyNecklace TreeSophora affinislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBailey AcaciaAcacia baileyanalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySilver WattleAcacia dealbatalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyGreen WattleAcacia decurrenslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes glossy privet, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water glossy privet in summer?

In July, established glossy privet in loam needs a deep watering about every 20 days in the Central Valley, about every 27 days on the south coast and about every 9 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does glossy privet need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established glossy privet needs about 2.7 gallons a day under a 10 foot canopy and about 11 gallons a day under a 20 foot canopy. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for glossy privet change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates glossy privet separately for each of the six California climate zones: low water in the North-Central Coastal zone, low water in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, moderate water in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Is glossy privet invasive?

Yes. Birds spread its seeds, and it has escaped and naturalized in many places, especially moist areas. Pull seedlings early, and consider a non-invasive shrub for new plantings.

Why does my privet smell bad when it flowers?

The creamy flowers have a pungent scent that some people find objectionable. Shearing before bloom reduces the flowers and the smell.

Are glossy privet berries poisonous?

The berries are toxic, and dogs can be harmed by eating the berries or leaves. Keep pets away from fallen fruit.

How big does glossy privet get?

It is usually a 12 to 15 foot shrub but can reach 20 to 35 feet as a tree. A large plant needs water spread over a wider root zone.

Can you overwater glossy privet?

Yes, and wet beds also help its seedlings take hold. Water deeply, then let the soil dry several inches down between soakings.

More plant watering guides

Limber PineChinese PistacheDwarf PomegranateChestnut-Leaved OakRed Flowering CurrantMexican Bush SageHouse LeekJojoba

Sources