pas , ▁Central ▁America , ▁Argentina , ▁and ▁the ▁southern ▁United ▁States ▁( Cal iforn ia , ▁Arizona , ▁Maryland , ▁and ▁the ▁sout heast ▁from ▁Texas ▁to ▁North ▁Carolina ). ▁The ▁name ▁" Ch inese ▁priv et " ▁is ▁also ▁used ▁for ▁Lig ustr um ▁sin ense . ▁ ▁The ▁Latin ▁specific ▁ep ith et ▁luc id um ▁means ▁" br ight " ▁or ▁" sh iny ", ▁referring ▁to ▁the ▁leaves . ▁ ▁Description ▁Lig ustr um ▁luc id um ▁is ▁an ▁ever green ▁tree ▁growing ▁to ▁ ▁tall ▁and ▁broad . ▁The ▁leaves ▁are ▁opposite , ▁gl oss y ▁dark ▁green , ▁ ▁long ▁and ▁ ▁broad . ▁The ▁flowers ▁are ▁similar ▁to ▁other ▁priv ets , ▁white ▁or ▁near ▁white , ▁bor ne ▁in ▁pan icles , ▁and ▁un ple as antly ▁p ung ent . ▁ ▁Lig ustr um ▁luc id um ▁and ▁the ▁var ieg ated ▁cultiv ar ▁' Ex c els um ▁Super bum ' ▁have ▁gained ▁the ▁Royal ▁H ort icult ural ▁Society ' s ▁Award ▁of ▁Garden ▁Mer it . ▁ ▁Us es ▁Lig ustr um ▁luc id um ▁is ▁often ▁used ▁as ▁an ▁orn amental ▁tree , ▁sometimes ▁in ▁var ieg ated ▁forms . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁one ▁of ▁several ▁species ▁of ▁priv et ▁used ▁as ▁dense , ▁ever green ▁h ed ges , ▁which ▁can ▁be ▁trained ▁to ▁a ▁specific ▁size ▁and ▁shape ▁by ▁regular ▁pr uning . ▁ ▁It ▁has ▁become ▁an ▁invas ive ▁species ▁in ▁some ▁areas ▁where ▁it ▁has