Privet is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 7 through 13 and shrugs off deer. Its early summer flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies.
Privet — the short answer
Privet: grown in zones 7–13, full sun, pH 5.9–7.7.
- USDA zones
- 7–13
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Soil pH
- 5.9–7.7
- USDA PLANTS
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Privet on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether privet actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score privet against your land's real conditions.
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What Privet is
Privet grows as a perennial and reaches around 15 feet at maturity. It blooms white in early summer. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Privet
Privet grows in USDA zones 7 through 13. Privet does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.9 to 7.7. It needs about 300 hours of winter chill, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
7-13
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5.9 - 7.7
USDA PLANTS
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
Data pending
Growable Ground plant catalog
Cold Hardiness
-3°F
The coldest temperature this plant is documented to survive.
USDA PLANTS
Mature Height
15 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Chill Hours
300+
Winter hours below ~45°F it needs to fruit — too-mild winters can leave it bloom-shy.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
0+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Plant it right
Set privet in full sun with well-drained soil. Many fruit trees need a second variety nearby to pollinate — check before you plant just one.
Match the soil
Privet prefers pH 5.9 to 7.7 (USDA PLANTS). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. Match watering to the plant's drainage preference and your local rainfall.
Be patient, then harvest
Prune annually while the tree establishes; fruit trees reward patience with years of harvest. Local Extension guides publish per-cultivar bearing-age tables.
Where Privet thrives
Privet is hardy across USDA zones 7 through 13. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 7–13 spans average winter lows from 0°F to 70°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 9 outright and splits 32 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 7–13·Where Privet growsOpen map →
Continental US shown — Alaska and US Pacific territories sit outside the federal map's polygon dataset.
Where Privet stands, state by state
Privet is rated for zones 7–13 — a cold floor USDA puts at 0 to 10°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 9 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 32 more, and 10 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 7–13
9 states
- Alabama · zones 7b-9b
- Delaware · zones 7a-8a
- District of Columbia · zones 7b-8a
3 of 9 shown
The line runs through
32 states
3 of 32 shown
Privet’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
Outside zones 7–13
10 states
- Minnesota · zones 3a-5a
- Montana · zones 3a-6b
- New Hampshire · zones 3b-6b
3 of 10 shown
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Privet
Growing guides for privet
In rotation planning, privet counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in shrub
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — privet is toxic to dogs and cats and horses (moderate severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: Pet Poison Helpline.)
Privet offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators.
Your land is one point inside Privet's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Privet will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether privet actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Privet
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Privet in my zone?
Privet grows in USDA hardiness zones 7 through 13 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Privet?
Set privet out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.
How much sun does Privet need?
Privet needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Privet need?
Privet prefers soil pH 5.9 to 7.7 (USDA PLANTS). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Privet attract pollinators?
Yes — privet's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies.
Is Privet safe for pets?
Privet is toxic to pets (dogs,cats,horses) with moderate severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: Pet Poison Helpline.)