I’ve profiled the Sunshine ligustrum previously in these Friday Profiles. We loved them already, and now there’s even more to love, post Winter Storm Uri!
In all my on-site consultations over the past two weeks, I have not seen a single dead Sunshine ligustrum. Those that had been covered were already looking fairly normal, and those that weren’t protected a bit … while burnt at the tips … were showing signs of quick recovery. So, as you look for small shrubs to replace lost things like Indian hawthornes, give your garden a little ray of sunshine with this plant!
Here’s our rave review from last September:
I received an email just after the radio show last Sunday that asked me to explain why I could bash ligustrums one day, then recommend them the next. I knew exactly what the emailer meant, but in actuality I was talking about a totally different plant.
Here’s what I wrote to Libby: “I actually understand your confusion, but we are talking about two different plants. Yes, I still detest the standard Wax Leaf ligustrum (Ligustrum japonicum), but I highly recommend the Sunshine ligustrum, (Ligustrum sinense 'Sunshine'). And because of you Libby, I’m going to do a deeper profile on them for our weekly email tip this week.”
I know you’ve seen these wonderful plants with very yellow, yellow, yellow leaves. And the best part is, you get to keep those yellow leaves for 12 months. They never seem to rest, and they do just as great in full sun as they do in filtered light. I have not seen them do well in deep shade, but that’s about the only negative about them. And, while you can certainly prune or shape it however you want, you can also just leave it the heck alone.
And I wasn’t kidding about the year-round reference. When other yellow-leafed plants succumb to our occasional freezes (Cuban golden duranta is a perfect example), the Sunshine ligustrum does not bat an eye. However, during such cold spells, instead of being bright yellow, they tend to shift to a more golden color. So instead of turning drab December through February, its yellow to gold-colored leaves provide some cheerfulness in a landscape.
Conversely, as winter passes, it will set a whole bunch of new leaves that have a tinge of green. I can assure you, as things warm up and we have longer days, they will turn bright yellow again.
And here several other benefits of incorporating Sunshine ligustrums in your landscape:
- It’s non-invasive, so it won’t spread or overcrowd.
- It doesn’t really flower, so it’s great for allergy sufferers.
- It contrasts any other green-leafed plant amazingly well.
- Makes a great winding path of shrubbery, is more colorfully than boxwoods and without their diseases.
- Can work in containers too, if you need a splash of color without using an annual or perennial.
PHOTOS: Randy Lemmon