Broad-leaf privet originates from eastern Asia and has become a widespread weed of disturbed land, pastoral areas and native bushland in coastal NSW.

It grows as an evergreen shrub or small tree to a height of 4-10 metres.

The brown bark is covered in small white lenticels (pores that allow gas exchange).

Pointed oval-shaped leaves occur in opposite pairs, and are 4-13 cm long and 3-6 cm wide.

The upper leaf surface is dark green and glossy or shiny, while the under-surface is paler with distinct veins. Leaves are hairless.

Cream or white tubular flowers with four petal-like lobes occur in branched clusters – each flower is 3.5-6 mm long. Flowers have a sickly sweet fragrance and are highly allergenic.

Berries are 9 mm long and 12 mm in diameter, and are green when young, turning red through to blue to glossy or purplish black as they ripen.

Berries usually contain two oval-shaped ribbed seeds 5 mm long.

Roots are woody, branching, thickened at the crown and mostly shallow.

Seed is spread deep into bushland by fruit-eating birds, native and exotic. It is also washed down waterways, producing prodigious numbers of rapidly-growing seedlings.

Alternative plantings: Blueberry ash, lillypilly etc.