Ligustrum lucidum

Native to Nepal, northeastern Myanmar, central and southern China, Hainan and southern Korea, this evergreen tree is widely planted as an ornamental. Its creamy white flowers grow in branching clusters and have a pungent scent that some people find unpleasant. Small, blue-black fruits are dispersed by birds. The leaves have translucent veins bordered by an opaque rim. Outside its native range, the tree can become invasive, establishing beneath forest canopies and displacing native vegetation. Abundant seed production, shade tolerance, rapid growth and vigorous resprouting help it spread and make control difficult. Photographed in Bogotá, Colombia.