Ligustrum × vicaryi 'NCLX1'

Ligustrum × vicaryi 'NCLX1' Golden Ticket® on Low irrigation in June 2022 at UC Davis. Photo: SK Reid

Summary

South Coast Research & Extension Center (South Coast REC/SCREC) is located in Irvine California, this site has a sandy loam soil and plants are irrigated with reclaimed water. UC Davis is located in Davis, California, this site has a silty clay loam soil and plants are irrigated with potable water. More information about the field sites is located in the Nuts & Bolts section.

Golden Ticket is a hybrid privet with small, lanceolate to ovate shaped leaves with smooth margins. As the name suggests, new growth was colored some shade of yellow, from a rich gold color to a chartreuse green. As the leaves the leaves aged, they turned a deep green color, resulting in a color gradient of deep green near the base of each shrub that transitioned to a yellow top and sides. As the growing season progressed, we observed a tendency for leaf drop and foliage coloration issues which negatively impacted plant performance. Foliage issues tended to increase as the growing season progressed. Golden Ticket was evaluated at UC Davis and South Coast REC (SCREC) with site specific performance details and recommendations below.

UC Davis Trial – Davis, CA

Several foliage issues were observed at UC Davis. In some cases, half of a leaf was green and the other half was a yellowish-white color, with a strong delineation down the center vein. In other cases, the tip and edges of the foliage burned as the summer progressed. However, the greatest issue encountered was the tendency for stems to lose leaves for a portion of the branch, lending a sparse and straggly appearance. This resulted in a central core with leaves, a length of leafless stem with living buds, and then a top section with yellow new growth. We were initially concerned that this was a result of the cold temperatures that had impacted other species in the trial. In response, we performed a limited amount of careful pruning to remove this growth in early May, shaping the plants to improve aesthetics. Unfortunately, this phenomenon of uneven leaf loss returned as the season progressed. This trait negatively impacted overall appearance for this taxon on all treatments, leading to the conclusion that it is not an irrigation-related issue. In our rubric the base level for acceptable aesthetics is 3 with anything less being unacceptable. Since the mean overall appearance values for all treatments were less than 3, we would not recommend this cultivar in full sun conditions like those in our trial. However, there were no significant performance differences between treatments and if this cultivar is grown in WUCOLS Region 2 we recommend irrigating on Low water. 

South Coast REC – Irvine, CA

This plant presented well in spring with lush foliage topped by sprays of tiny white flowers in April. Foliage quality declined as the summer heat arrived – signs of necrosis and leaf drop were observed. There was a drastic drop in overall appearance ratings from August to September. By October much of the of foliage in the upper 2/3 of the canopy had dropped, leaving naked, bare branches. Thus, while the mean overall appearance scores for all treatments were above three, this end of season shift should be taken into consideration if using this species. We recommend Golden Ticket be irrigated on Low water in WUCOLS Region 3.

Basic Info

Growth and Quality Data

Click Here for Complete Data Set - UCD

Click Here for Complete Data Set -SCREC

Close up of Ligustrum × vicaryi 'NCLX1' Golden Ticket® foliage in June 2022. Photo SK Reid.

Ligustrum × vicaryi 'NCLX1' Golden Ticket® on low water in April 2022 at South Coast REC.

Ligustrum × vicaryi 'NCLX1' Golden Ticket® on Low irrigation water in September 2022 at South Coast REC