Why is some privot green and some yellow?

Question

Yes I know they are different colors, but are they two different types?

I have a yellow privot hedge round my front garden, but as the summer has progressed its slowly turning green.

Answer 1

The genus Ligustrum ( privet ) contains 50 different species worldwide and a lot of varieties and cultivars. The most of them are green, but some are "golden" ( yellow ) like the Golden Vicary Privet, Golden Ligustrum (Ligustrum x vicaryi):

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/...

Ligustrum Howardi:

http://www.evergreenplantnursery.com/How...

or yellow marginated like Ligustrum Ovalifolium Aureum:

http://www.goldenhillplants.com/erol.htm...

These cultivars do not change color to green, they stay yellow.

Some of the green, deciduous species turn yellow or bronze green in fall ore a pest can turn them yellow, but I never heard about yellow to green. Might be the best you cut a small twig and show it to a gardener or another specialist.

Answer 2

the green is the species Ligustrum sinense. the yellow is the cultivar 'Variegatum'.  it will revert to species=green stems.  prune them out. there are two different types of variegated privet, one cream and green, the other white and green