One non-native plant that is considered invasive and tricky to deal with is Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense). This mid-sized shrub reproduces quickly and grows well just about anywhere and in a ...

Privet is a popular garden hedge. It grows quickly and responds well to being pruned. But in natural areas, privet is a problem. Like 72% of weeds in Australia, privet escaped from our gardens.

Like clockwork, roots would appear on the bottom of each cutting, sometimes just three weeks after planting. By the end of summer, even the sluggish varieties had roots.

For more identification tips, or to differentiate between privet species, visit Woody Invasives of the Great Lakes (WIGL) Collaborative and Midwest Invasive Plant Network (MIPN)and search for privets.