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Ligustrum vulgare
Toxic🐾Gewöhnlicher Liguster · (Ligustrum vulgare)
Olive family (Oleaceae)
Description
A dense, prune-friendly hedge plant, common privet shapes many European gardens and blooms May to July in strongly scented white panicles that supply plentiful nectar for honey bees and wild bees. Its ripe, glossy black berries were historically pressed for a violet-to-blue dye used in inks and textiles, and the tough twigs once served basket-weavers — hence the old German name "Beinholz" (bone-wood). Folk medicine occasionally used a leaf infusion, rich in iridoid glycosides and tannins, as an astringent gargle for throat inflammation — for rinsing only, never to be swallowed. That's because both berries and leaves of this olive-family shrub are toxic: they contain secoiridoid glycosides such as ligustroside and oleuropein, and as few as six to ten berries can cause vomiting, abdominal pain and circulatory symptoms in a child. Privet is accordingly one of the most common plant poisonings in Central European gardens and is also dangerous to dogs, cats and horses. It can be confused with edible elderberry, though elderberries hang in drooping clusters while privet berries stand upright in loose panicles.
🌿 Risk of confusion — read before wild-harvesting!
TOXIC — berries and leaves. The black, glossy berries of common privet contain secoiridoid glycosides (ligustroside, oleuropein, syringoside, ligustaloside A) and are one of the most frequent plant poisonings in children in central European gardens. As few as 6-10 berries can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, dizziness and circulatory problems. For consumption of larger quantities: IMMEDIATELY contact poison control. Also toxic to dogs, cats, horses and ruminants. Do not confuse with edible elderberry (Sambucus nigra) or aronia — privet berries hang upright in loose panicles, elderberries in pendulous umbels. ASPCA classification (accessed 2026-08-10): toxic to dogs and cats.
External use only!
This plant must NOT be taken internally. Use only as compress, salve, or bath.
CONTRAINDICATED during pregnancy
No internal use of privet preparations during pregnancy. Safe use during pregnancy is not established; berries are toxic in any case. External use as gargle only with strict avoidance of swallowing.
CONTRAINDICATED during breastfeeding
No internal use during breastfeeding. Data on the transfer of iridoid glycosides into breast milk is lacking; contraindicated due to toxicity.
CONTRAINDICATED for children
Children are particularly sensitive to the berry toxins. The glossy black berries are attractive to children and are regularly seen in emergency departments. Mark plants in family gardens, educate children about the danger, and seek immediate medical help on suspicion of consumption. No privet preparations in children under 12 years — not even as gargle.
Folk medicinal use of an infusion of privet leaves as astringent gargle for mouth and throat inflammation. The iridoid glycosides and tannins it contains act constrictively on inflamed mucous membranes. Mouth rinse only, do not swallow — berries and leaves are toxic internally.
Preparation & dosage
Pour boiling water over 1-2 g of dried leaves, steep for 10 minutes, strain and let cool. Gargle only, do not swallow. Limit use to a few days.
- Dry amount
- 1–2 g
- Doses per day
- 3×
External use of a leaf decoction as compress for minor skin irritations, superficial wounds and inflamed areas. Astringent action of the tannins; purely traditional use without clinical evidence.
Preparation & dosage
Simmer 5-10 g dried leaves in 500 ml water for 15 minutes, strain, soak a clean cloth and apply to the affected area. External use only.
- Dry amount
- 5–10 g
Historical dye use: a violet to bluish dye for inks, textiles and watercolours was traditionally extracted from the ripe, black glossy berries. Ethnobotanical, non-medicinal use. Berries remain toxic — no consumption.
Preparation & dosage
Bee forage: the strongly scented white privet flower panicles appear from May to July and provide nectar and pollen for honey bees and wild bees. The resulting honey has a strongly bitter taste and is rarely harvested as a single-source variety; ecologically important forage plant in hedges.
Preparation & dosage
Classic hedge plant for privacy and noise screening in gardens and parks. Tolerant of pruning, dense growth habit; semi-evergreen in mild winters. Main ornamental use; ethnobotanically named 'Zaunriegel' (fence bar) and 'Rainweide' (field-edge willow).
Preparation & dosage
Historical use of the tough privet twigs for basketry, ties and simple tools. The old German name 'Beinholz' (bone-wood) refers to the processing of the wood into turnery and small utility items. Ethnobotanical, non-medicinal use.
Preparation & dosage
⚠ External use only
TOXIC — berries and leaves. The black, glossy berries of common privet contain secoiridoid glycosides (ligustroside, oleuropein, syringoside, ligustaloside A) and are one of the most frequent plant poisonings in children in central European gardens. As few as 6-10 berries can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, dizziness and circulatory problems. For consumption of larger quantities: IMMEDIATELY contact poison control. Also toxic to dogs, cats, horses and ruminants. Do not confuse with edible elderberry (Sambucus nigra) or aronia — privet berries hang upright in loose panicles, elderberries in pendulous umbels. ASPCA classification (accessed 2026-08-10): toxic to dogs and cats.
No internal use of privet preparations during pregnancy. Safe use during pregnancy is not established; berries are toxic in any case. External use as gargle only with strict avoidance of swallowing.
No internal use during breastfeeding. Data on the transfer of iridoid glycosides into breast milk is lacking; contraindicated due to toxicity.
Children are particularly sensitive to the berry toxins. The glossy black berries are attractive to children and are regularly seen in emergency departments. Mark plants in family gardens, educate children about the danger, and seek immediate medical help on suspicion of consumption. No privet preparations in children under 12 years — not even as gargle.
Drug interactions
Magen-Darm-Reizstoffe (NSAIDs, Bisphosphonate)
Additional mucosal irritation from iridoid glycosides; relevant only with accidental swallowing of a gargle solution.
Contraindications
- Any internal use — berries and leaves contain irritating secoiridoid glycosides
- Allergies to Oleaceae plants (olive, ash, lilac)
- Existing gastrointestinal irritation or inflammation — iridoids act additionally irritating
- Pet households with unsecured access — dogs and cats suffer severe poisoning
Harvested part: berries and leaves
- Time of day:
- Late morning after dew has dried, from healthy plants in pesticide-free hedges.
- Drying:
- Spread leaves thinly in an airy, shaded place at 25-35 degrees; rustle-dry after about 5 days. Store in airtight jars labelled 'TOXIC — external use only'.
- Storage:
- 12 months — Dry, dark, labelled. Store strictly separated from culinary herbs.
- Time of day:
- Daytime after full ripeness (deep black, glossy), gloves mandatory. Exclusively for dyeing or demonstrative teaching purposes — never for food or medicinal purposes.
- Drying:
- Berries are processed fresh for dye extraction; drying in the shade reduces colour depth. Wash hands thoroughly after processing.
- Storage:
- 3 months — Refrigerated and labelled — 'TOXIC, not food'. Out of reach of children and pets.
- LigustrosideGlycosideContent: vorhandenLeaf
Characteristic secoiridoid glycoside of the genus Ligustrum; gives the substance its name; structurally related to oleuropein of olive (Oleaceae family). Bitter, mucosa-irritating action; co-responsible for berry toxicity.
- OleuropeinGlycosideContent: vorhandenLeaf
Secoiridoid glycoside; intensively researched antioxidant active ingredient in olive. Present in Ligustrum leaves at lower concentrations than in Olea europaea, but regularly detectable.
- SyringosideGlycosideContent: vorhandenLeaf
Iridoid glycoside; phytochemically distinctive for several Oleaceae genera including Syringa (lilac). Contributes to the bitter taste of the leaves.
- Ligustaloside AGlycosideContent: SpurenLeaf
Secoiridoid glycoside, isolated and described in Ligustrum species. Pharmacological relevance in humans not established; belongs to the characteristic iridoid fraction of the genus.
- LigustralononOtherContent: SpurenLeaf
Iridoid constituent of privet leaves; chemically assigned to the iridoid fraction; characteristic of Ligustrum secondary metabolites.
- Gerbstoffe (kondensierte Tannine)TanninContent: vorhandenLeaf
Astringent polyphenols in leaves and bark. Explain the folk medicinal use as gargle and compress for minor skin irritations.
- Flavonoide (Rutin, Quercetin-Glykoside)FlavonoidContent: vorhandenLeaf
Antioxidant companion substances in leaves and inflorescences; widespread in Oleaceae plants; contribute to radical-scavenging activity of leaf extracts.
- Anthocyane (Cyanidin-Glykoside)FlavonoidContent: in reifen BeerenFruit
Responsible for the deep violet to black colour of ripe berries; form the basis of historical dye use. Not used pharmacologically as therapy.
- [5]MonographASPCA Animal Poison Control — Common Privet (Ligustrum vulgare)(accessed: 2026-08-10)
- [6]MonographCliniTox Giftpflanzen — Ligustrum vulgare L.: giftig + (Institut für Veterinärpharmakologie und -toxikologie, Universität Zürich)(accessed: 2026-08-10)
- [4]BookPlants for a Future — Ligustrum vulgare(accessed: 2026-05-27)
- [1]WikipediaGewoehnlicher Liguster — Wikipedia (DE)(accessed: 2026-05-27)
- [2]WikipediaLigustrum vulgare — Wikipedia (EN)(accessed: 2026-05-27)
- [3]WikidataLigustrum vulgare — Wikidata Q156005(accessed: 2026-05-27)