Little Moon Ligustrum. This quaint little selection of our age-old garden standby is a true dwarf of the species. The leaves are about one fourth to one third the size of the species, and the flower panicles are in perfect scale with the plant's size of about 1-2 inch white panicles. It is reported to get to only 2 ft. tall by 30 inches across. It is also a great subject for bonsai. This is an introduction by plantsman and nurseryman Maarten Van der Giessen of Van der Giessen Nursery in Semmes, Alabama. Here is what he related to me:
"Ligustrum ‘Little Moon’ is a plant that Tom Dodd, Jr. shared with me. He hadn’t named it, and I’m not sure it originated with him. I found a similar plant at the back of the old, abandoned Kiyono Nursery (1/4 mile from Tom Dodd). It was ancient and four feet tall. It’s certainly possible that Tsukasa Kiyono brought it back from Japan, but we’ll never know. I named and released Mr. Dodd’s plant after he passed ten years or so ago. My original plant is in Billy Lucas garden, and it’s four feet in 15 years."
So many plants have wonderful stories behind them. This is one of those.
Zones 7-10
