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Japanese Ligustrum Identification: Invasive Tree with Winter Berries

Q: This tree was on our lot when we built. It has lots of berries in winter. What is it?

It's Japanese ligustrum (Ligustrum japonicum), cousin to Chinese ligustrum (privet hedge). Leaves are opposite on stems (cherry laurel has alternate leaves). Like privet, it's considered invasive.

Long white flower racemes appear on branch tips in spring. Birds eat berries after freezing softens them, spreading seedlings.

About Gardening: Identifying a Wild Australian Orchid: Likely Dipodium punctatum; Fireglow Japanese Maple: Size, Sun Tolerance, and Care in Denver; Identifying a Tropical Plant with Dark Green/Purple Leaves; Japanese Knotweed: Invasive Threat, Not Health Food; Potter Wasps: Nature's Tiny Vase-Makers and Caterpillar Hunters; Japanese Climbing Fern: Invasive Vine to Eradicate; Sasanqua vs. Japanese Camellia: Bloom Time, Species Differences, and Cultivar Selection; Common Quince: Fragrant, Hard Fruit for Cooking and Jelly; Pipsissewa (Chimaphila maculata): Striped Wintergreen of the Forest Floor; Naranjilla (Solanum quitoense): Andean Fruit for Container Growing

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