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Kindly®

Ligustrum aponicum

Family: Oleaceae Unknown Shrub (3-15 ft)

Kindly® is an evergreen cultivar of the Japanese privet in the olive family (Oleaceae) bred by NCSU's Tom Ranney. It is more compact at 4 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide and produces no seed. Kindly® grows best in full sun to part sun in average, well-drained soil. It is moderately drought-tolerant once established. Little pruning is needed to retain its upright, densely branched habit. but it responds well to heavy shaping and topiary. Panicles of fragrant white flowers appear in late spring into summer above the glossy dark green leaves. Use Kindly Japanese Privet as a hedge, for privacy, as a specimen, in groups and for erosion control. nsects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Whiteflies, Japanese and ligustrum weevils, white peach scale, and privet rust mites are common insect problems. Anthracnose, twig blight, cankers, powdery mildew, and root rot are common disease problems. Susceptible to copper deficiency.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 48 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Rhododendron x Dandy Man Color Wheel® 'NCRX1' Viburnum x Yardline® 'NCVX5' Viburnum Yin® 'NCVX2'

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Shrub
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Pyramidal
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Leathery
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The leathery green leaves are broad-ovate to ovate-oblong in shape and 2 to 4 inches long.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Paniclesof frangrant white flowers appearin late spring into summer
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit detail
No seeds
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
Flowers attract pollinators
Attracts
Pollinators
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Drought Tolerant Garden; Winter Garden
Design feature
Barrier; Border; Hedge; Mass Planting; Screen/Privacy; Small groups
Garden tags
#bee friendly #erosion control #evergreen shrub #groups #hedge #low maintenance #nci #privacy #spring flowers #sterile flowers #summer flowers #white flowers
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Privet Rust Mite; Privet Mite
Resistant to
Deer; Erosion

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.