Here are the blooms.

Man, I'm stumped. My initial thought was Orange Jasimine, but the second picture says it's not that.

I asked at Lukas Nursery and they were stumped. They Sent pics to another garden site and someone there said Ligustrum privet. Sound right?
It's leaves and non woody branches are so soft and not rough...I never dreamed a ligustrum.
I can't believe after 14 years its blooming. Weird! Did nothing different. It was the perfect picture of neglect. Think my husband pruned it at the just right time this year. Lovely, lovey smell and the native fl bees are all over it!

If the blossoms have a pungent, stinky odor, I'd agree - privit. My neighbors all have it and it reminds me of cat urine odor.

It actually smells very good like lilac.

We have something that looks like that, and an amazingly good smell. I can not for the life of me remember what I was told it was.

The word "tea" comes to mind as being part of the name, but I am not sure that's correct.

I'll try to force myself to remember!

Mae-pop

I bought it in Lukas nursery sweet olive and they look like that and smells nice, but if they id something different then maybe they are right?

Mine is starting to bloom

Silvia

Here is a link that might be useful: sweet olive

Ligustrum seems correct ; we had some type of ligustrum hedges in our yard when I was a kid & I remember loving the scent of the flowers - maybe not japonicum, tho - that 1 reportedly has the unpleasant-smelling flowers

I keep looking @ those leaves & they do not look like the most common ligustrums - they remind me of Walter's Viburnum leaves - but viburnum flowers are not on spikes like that

Hmm - maybe California privet? (ligustrum ovalifolium)

I think it may be Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense). It is considered a highly invasive plant. It is a Category I invasive (the worst) on the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council's 2011 List of Invasive Plant Species. "Invasive exotic plants are termed Category I invasives when they are altering native plant communities by displacing native species, changing community structures or ecological functions, or hybridizing with natives." It is a plant that should be removed and replaced with a Florida-friendly plant.

Carol in Jacksonville

Here is a link that might be useful: Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense) - Field Recognition Card

It is the ligustrum privet, invasive according to the UF extension. However it has never gone above 4 feet and has not moved til recently.
I am all the more happier to remove it! I love my natives!!
:)

I think the "invasive" crap is overblown, myself. If you like the plant; grow the plant. If you're really worried about it, remove the berries and destroy them before they're ripe.

Florida was a sand dune millions of years ago. EVERY plant that grows here was "invasive" at some point. People who think everything should stay exactly the way it is right now are delusional. Mother Nature doesn't work that way.

Tradition, I agree and am not exclusive. I know I do not want a "weedy" yard so I research the plants before I plant. I am not against weedy either, just don't want to be committed to the yard all day, every day. My greatest hope is I become a byway for butterflies as they flit from garden to garden and a host to butterflies of florida. I have had a few butterflies so far. Monarchs are laying eggs and I got a corky stem passionvine yesterday and I have two cats that I have seen on it already.
Thanks for your help everyone! Most appreciated. I have just joined the sight the other day and you all have been so helpful already!

Mae-pop, welcome to the GardenWeb! It's always fun to have new people join us!

Carol

Thanks Carol!

If you really think it smells like lilac, I would think it is the orange jasmine. That is exactly what I think our orange jasmine smells like. The sheet says the ligustrum is a somewhat unpleasant smell.

It is Ligustrum sinense.

What part of Florida do you live in? It is only invasive in north FL, once you get south of Ocala I don't see it escaping and naturalizing. There was a hedge of it at a house I used to rent and it never produced seedlings. Many plants are that way, behaved in in part of Florida but invasive in another.

Eric, I hadn't even thought of that. I'm always so glad when you pop in - you always have a great little nugget of wisdom. Thanks for the edumacation. It reminds me of pennywort (dollarweed) which is sold as an annual up north!

Mae-pop, that is good news! You can decide what you want to do. It does have a pretty flower and if you like the smell, that is all that matters.

Carol