Privet hedge help!

Hi everyone,

We are have some problems with our privet hedge and was hoping that someone might be able to help.

Firstly we have something growing in the privet which seems to be out-competing the hedge (picture 1). Everywhere this plant grows the privet dies off around it and it is in quite a few patches around the hedge, it grows like privet but the leaves are very different.

Secondly we have some Ivy growing around this dying privet would this be likely to kill the privet or is this nothing to worry about?

Thanks for your help in advance

David

 

Thanks for the replies. No I didn't plant the hedge myself but the privet has been established for +30 years and this plant seems to be only just trying to establish itself or (is well established in some places at the cost of the privet) so I dont think this was planted alongside the privet as a hedging plant.

 

The reason I thought it would not be planted there purposefully is because it is in random places and not very well planned if it was planted, I could be wrong though. Any thoughts on why it would be killing the privet?

 

Might it be Hornbeam? (I don't think Beech either, I think Beech leaves would be smoother; might be Hazel though)

 

Hi thanks, for the replies and suggestions.

Is it possible that we might have some disease which is killing the privet but because hornbeam is resistant to the disease it is out-competing the privet?