Loading profile. Please wait . . .
Forestiera segregata (Jacq.) Krug & Urban
Florida Wild Privet
Federal Protection: No US federal protection
State Protection: Rare
Global Rank: G4
State Rank: S2
Element Locations Tracked in Biotics: Yes
SWAP 2015 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): Yes
SWAP 2025 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): Yes
2025 SGCN Priority Tier: High Conservation Concern
Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 16
Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Shell mounds on barrier islands in scrub or maritime forests
Shrub or small tree up to 10 feet (3 meters) tall. Twigs are grayish-brown, smooth and hairless, with conspicuous white patches (lenticels). The leaves are 0.5 - 2 inches (1.5 - 5 cm) long, opposite, widest above the middle with blunt or rounded tips and narrow, tapering bases (sometimes described as diamond-shaped); both surfaces are hairless, the lower surface has many tiny gland dots; the leaves fall in late winter just before new growth begins. Leaf stalks are absent or very short; leaf margins are without teeth. Female and male flowers are on separate plants in clusters held close to the twigs. Flower clusters may appear to be a single flower, but are composed of several small flowers without petals that are surrounded by greenish-yellow, petal-like bracts. Fruits are about 0.2 inch (5 - 7 mm) long, round, waxy, blue-black, in clusters.
Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense) and other non-native privets have stalked leaves and showy white flowers, and hold their flower clusters at the ends of the twigs. Florida Wild Privet is distinguished from other native privets by its usually overwintering leaves, hairless leaves with gland-dotted lower surfaces, entire leaf margins, and blunt leaf tips.
Godfrey’s Wild Privet (Forestiera godfreyi) occurs in maritime forests over shell mounds near the coast. For more information, see https://www.georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/profile?group=plants&es_id=16639
Coastal maritime forests and shrub-scrub areas over shell mounds on or near barrier islands or bordering salt marshes. Often with Live Oak, Red Cedar, Red Bay, Devilwood, and Yaupon Holly.
Florida Wild Privet is dioecious, meaning that female and male flowers are on different plants. The female-flowering plants of Florida Wild Privet often grow in patches somewhat separated from patches of male-flowering plants. Typically, early-flowering plants such as Florida Wild Privet are wind-pollinated, but the clustered arrangement of these flowers mimics a single, showy flower and suggests that the plant has evolved to attract insect pollinators (the rare Tropical Hairstreak butterfly, Eumaeus atala, has been observed nectaring on the flowers of Florida Wild Privet in south Florida). The fruits are probably dispersed by birds and other small animals.
Surveys may be conducted year-round; the leaves, twigs with prominent lenticels, and bark (see photo) are distinctive. Flowering usually occurs from late winter through early spring on twigs of the previous season before the leaves appear, although some plants may flower later in the year on the current year’s twigs. Fruits are usually present during the summer.
Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and the West Indies.
Clearing and development in coastal habitats. Digging and destruction of shell mounds. Invasion by exotic pest plants. Saltwater intrusion into Upper Floridan Aquifer. Sea level rise due to global climate change.
| Threat 1 | Threat 2 | Threat 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Threat | Agriculture & aquaculture | Human intrusions & disturbance | Climate change & severe weather |
| Specific Threat | Wood & pulp plantations | Work & other activities | Habitat shifting & alteration |
Forestiera segregata is ranked S2 by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, indicating that it is imperiled in Georgia. It is listed as Rare by the State of Georgia. Fifteen populations are known, and nine have been confirmed in the last 20 years. Most of these occur on publicly owned land.
Protect coastal forests from clearing and development. Protect shell mounds from digging, clearing, dredging, and spoil deposition. Eradicate exotic pest plants. Reduce freshwater extraction from Upper Floridan Aquifer. Reduce carbon emisssions to limit effects of global climate change.
Chafin, L.G. 2007. Field guide to the rare plants of Georgia. State Botanical Garden of Georgia and University of Georgia Press, Athens.
Foote, L.E. and S.B. Jones, Jr. 1989. Native shrubs and woody vines of the southeast. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon.
Francis, J.K. Forestiera segregata (Jacq.) Krug & Urban, Florida Privet. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, Jardín Botánico Sur, San Juan Puerto Rico. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?rep=rep1&type=pdf&doi=10.1.1.214.97
GADNR. 2020. Element occurrence records for Forestiera segregata. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Social Circle, Georgia.
Gilman, E.F., D.G. Watson, R.W. Klein, A.K. Koeser, D.R. Hilbert, and D.C. McLean. 1999. Forestiera segregata: Fact Sheet FPS-213. Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fp213
Godfrey, R.K. 1988. Trees, shrubs, and woody vines of northern Florida and adjacent Georgia and Alabama. University of Georgia Press, Athens.
Koi, S. 2008. Nectar sources for Eumaeus atala (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Theclinae). The Florida Entomologist 91(1): 118-120. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20065937
Nelson, G. 1996. Shrubs and woody vines of Florida. Pineapple Press, Sarasota, Florida.
NatureServe. 2019. Forestiera segregata comprehensive report. NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName= Forestiera+segregata
Taylor, W.K. 1998. Florida wildflowers in their natural communities. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.
Tomlinson, P.B. 1980. Biology of trees native to tropical Florida. Harvard University Printing Office, Allston, Massachusetts.
Weakley, A.S. 2015. Flora of the southern and mid-Atlantic States. University of North Carolina Herbarium, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. http://www.herbarium.unc.edu/flora.htm
Linda G. Chafin
L. Chafin, Feb. 2008: original account
K. Owers, Jan. 2010: added pictures
L. Chafin, Feb 2020: updated original account.
