Border Privet

Description:

This shrub is an invasive species that is banned in Connecticut and is not considered to be naturalized. Yet, I found it growing wild.

It's a woody shrub that was about 6 feet tall. It had elliptic-shaped leaves and dark blue fruit, which persist on the branches throughout the winter.

Habitat:

Growing wild next to a river in a deciduous forest.

Notes:

This is the first spotting of this species on Project Noah.

This plant is able to escape cultivation and rapidly form dense thickets that can crowd out native species, which is why it is banned in Connecticut.