White Meadowsweet vs Wild Privet - TreeTime.ca

White Meadowsweet vs Wild Privet

Ligustrum vulgare

Spiraea alba

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Wild Privet
White Meadowsweet

Wild Privet is a fast growing ornamental shrub that is well suited for forming hedges and privacy screens. It will retain its leaves in warmer climates but drops them in colder areas. They have small white flowers, though the smell is often considered unpleasant. While the berries are inedible, they are a good food source for many bird species.

It is recommended to prune Wild Privet immediately after flowering, as it can readily self seed. It is deer and rabbit tolerant. It can grow in dry areas, on slopes, and withstand the wind making it well suited for many growing conditions.

White Meadowsweet is a woody, deciduous shrub that begins to bloom in early summer with small white and pink flowers. Its foliage turns from a light green into an attractive golden-yellow later in the fall.

The White Meadowsweet, also known as Mead-Wort or Bride-Wort, is favored by birds and butterflies but is largely ignored by deer. They produce small brown berries in the summer, and while they are technically edible, they are not sweet and are more desired by wildlife.

Wild Privet Quick Facts

White Meadowsweet Quick Facts

Zone: 5a
Zone: 3a
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Suckering: medium
Suckering: high

Toxicity: If ingested, all parts of this plant will cause severe discomfort. Toxic to dogs, cats, and horses

Fall colour: golden yellow
Flowers: white
Flowers: white, small
Berries: black
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Other Names: common privet, european privet
Other Names: mead wort, meadowsweet, narrowleaf meadowsweet, pale bridewort, pipestem