Swamp Privet
Forestiera acuminata
- Stay Protected with Plant Sentry ™
Swamp Privet - #3 Container 1-2 Feet is backordered and will ship as soon as it is back in stock.
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry™
Plant Sentry is designed to protect both consumers and the nursery trade from invasive plant pests and diseases. Sites that display the Plant Sentry protection badge are protected from consumers buying and nurseries shipping material carrying invasive pests and diseases.
This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.
Click Here to learn more

Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Shipping
To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.
Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.
Standard Shipping Rates
At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.
From | To | S&H |
---|---|---|
$0 | $19.99 | $24.99 |
$20 | $49.99 | $29.99 |
$50 | $69.99 | $34.99 |
$70 | $99.99 | $39.99 |
$100 | $129.99 | $44.99 |
$130 | $149.99 | $48.99 |
$150 | $150+ | Approx 28% |
Click here to see our full rates
Understanding Plant Options
Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:
- Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
- Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements
Container Plant Sizes
Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.
Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2" x 2" x 3" | 0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts | 0.20 - 0.23 dry liters |
4" Container | 0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts | 0.35 - 0.96 dry liters |
4.5" Container | 0.65 dry quarts | 0.72 dry liters |
6" Container | 1.4 dry quarts | 1.59 dry liters |
1 Quart | 1 dry quart | 1.1 dry liters |
5.5" Container | 1.89 dry quarts | 2.08 dry liters |
Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
2 Quart | 2 dry quarts | 2.2 dry liters |
#1 Container | 2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts | 2.49 - 4.11 dry liters |
5" x 5" x 12" | 3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts | 3.85 - 4.74 dry liters |
Mature Plants (2-4 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#2 Container | 1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons | 5.24 - 7.75 dry liters |
#3 Container | 2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons | 8.14 - 12.16 dry liters |
Large Plants (3-5 years old)
Container Size | Actual Volume | Metric Equivalent |
---|---|---|
#5 Container | 2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons | 12.86 - 20.35 dry liters |
#6 Container | 5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons | 23.12 - 26.42 dry liters |
#7 Container | 5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons | 26.34 - 28.76 dry liters |
Bare Root Plants
Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.
Common Sizes:
- Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
- Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet
Important Notes
Container Volume Specifications
- Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
- Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
- Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents
Growing Conditions
- Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
- Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
- Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment
Seasonal Availability
- Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
- Container plants are available throughout the growing season
- Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes
Questions?
For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.
Plant Highlights
Swamp Privet highlights at a glance!
Specifications
Specifications
-
Brand
-
Botanical Name
-
Growing Zones
-
Mature Height
-
Mature Spread
-
Sun ExposureFull Sun, Partial Shade
-
Moisture
-
Soil
-
Growth RateMedium
-
Flower Color
-
Fall Color
-
Pollinator Friendly
-
Pollinator Required
-
Fragrant
-
Pruning Time
-
Bloom PeriodEarly Spring, Late Spring

Growing Zones 6 - 9
Highly adaptable shrubs or trees, the Swamp Privet (Forestiera acuminata) is a hardy native wetland plant with an open and airy form! Found growing throughout the southeastern and central U.S., The yellow sprays of flowers, the gray branches fill out with pointed yellow-green toothy foliage for the entire growing season!
The spring flowers appear on old wood and male flowers and female flowers appear on separate plants. If pollinated by the plethora of bees and butterflies that love these blooms, the female plants form bird-friendly purple drupes for the late summer months and contrast with the yellow fall color.
The leaves of these plants have a spicy aroma when crushed and are similar to Spicebush. However, while called a Privet, Swamp Privet are not true Privet shrubs (Ligustrum). When grown in their natural form, these natives can form polite thickets. When pruned into more tree-form specimens, the multi-branched trees can grow 15-25 feet tall and about 15-20 feet wide.
Planting and Application:
Growing into naturalized thickets along riparian areas and in boggier areas of the landscape. Plant Swamp Privet in the Rain Garden and along your ponds, brooks, and water features, anywhere there is higher moisture soils available.
Equally adaptable to partial shade, Swamp Privet are wonderful understory shrubs, happily hanging out under the canopy of larger trees. Handling full sun as well, these wonderful native plants handle a wide range of conditions, while feeding and sheltering songbirds and wildlife - but there is little worry that Deer will browse on your Swamp Privet stand.
- Sprays of Yellow Blooms
- Yellow-Green Leaves & Yellow Fall Color
- Pollinator Friendly Blooms
- Loves High Moisture Environments & Rain Gardens
- Purple Drupes In Summer Feed Water Foul, Songbirds & Ducks
- Naturalizing, Understory Tree or Shrub, Thickets & Wetland Areas
#ProPlantTips for Care:
Plant Swamp Privet in full sun or partial shade locations and provide a well-drained soil location with higher moisture availability. In drier conditions in the garden, plant this hardy native in an enriched location that is mulched with 3-4 inches of arborist bark chips. Eastern Swamp Privet shrubs bloom on old wood, so prune only after flowering. For maintaining large naturalized thickets, try renewal pruning instead and only remove the oldest, fattest stems, leaving behind younger more vigorous branching.
- Full Sun & Partial Shade
- Well-Drained Soil Locations
- Average to Higher Moisture Locations
- Prune After Flowering
- Deer Seldom Bother These Hardy Natives!
Native Eastern Swamp Privet shrubs or trees are wonderful additions to boost your landscapes biodiversity and increase native plant presence in your area! Now available at Nature Hills Nursery!