Dark Curly Leaf Ligustrum - A Great Idea For An Entrance
The
Dark Curly Leaf Ligustrum
is one of my favorite small evergreen
shrubs. It is a dwarf member of the
Ligustrum family. This plant is wonderful
for an entrance and many other styles
of gardens, or a specific landscape area.
There are many different varieties of the
Ligustrum and this plant family is
known for its drought and heat tolerance.
In the United States this plant family grows
well in zones seven through ten. It loves
sandy soil but will also do well in some
clay base soil. It is very popular in
Coastal regions in the deep south
and Texas.
The Dark Curly Leaf is also called,
Rotundifolium. Many of
the Ligustrums will grow six to eighteen
feet high and six to eight feet wide. The
Curly Leaf will grow to about four feet high
and two to three feet wide.
The picture above is of an established Dark
Curly Leaf Ligustrum. It has been in
the ground for about five to seven
years. The plant specie is a slow
grower. The leaves wrap around the
branches in a unique fashion. The highlight
of this plant is its shiny and glossy leaves.
Noticed the defined shape of the leaves
as well as the veins. The Curly Leaf is a great
accent plant. I use this plant in
entrance ways to a formal or informal
garden. Putting the plant on either side
allows you have a feeling of entering
into your own little paradise. The dwarf
also does well in containers. The containers
also can accent a deck, porch or patio.
In the
examples of landscape designs section,
there are hand drawn designs that may
give you some options to incorporate this
lovely dwarf evergreen. The plant over time
can become leggy and a good idea if you
are looking to keep a neat appearance, to
prune in the spring and fall.
I used a small pruner to
trim this shrub. Also notice that the
pruner is at an angle to cut the branch.
An angle cut is the correct way to
prune.Cutting straight
across you could damage the
plant.
Here is a photo of the shrub pruned.
It is shaped in somewhat of a natural
form but the leggy branches have
been removed to give this plant
a neat appearance. Prune from the top to
bottom. The plant can
take full sun but will also survive
in partial shade. As I mentioned
above, this plant will do well in
extreme heat and the
Dark Curly Leaf Ligustrum can grow in the tropics.
This dwarf is a wonderful evergreen plant
for a warmer climate. This specie will
enhance your garden when planted
next to variegated shrubs. I enjoy
putting this plant with some Nandinas
as well as some other solid evergreens.
In the
gallery of plants section,
there are some other plant families
that would work well with the
Dwarf Curly Leaf Ligustrum. This
is a plant I would highly recommend
it's use in one or more of your
gardens.
If you have been searching
for an evergreen plant for your garden,
this plant is a wonderful landscape solution for you.
