Can anyone ID this plant?

[JackTerp]

I have a thicket of this stuff. It looks like the deer might be browsing on it very slightly, but really hard to tell. I would like to clear the area for part of a planned orchard.

 

[Gto One]

Looks like chinese privet to me. If you have bottomland, eradicate it or it will take over. About 50 years ago privet was planted as a hedge on property i now own. Now the entire creek bottom is over run with privet.

 

[JackTerp]

Thanks. You are probably right. I didn't recognize it because it is in an area of heavy shade and I am more familiar with a much bushier plant. This stuff is very different. It looks more like a mountain laurel than a thick bush. I finally found a couple berries on one of the plants and it is the typical dark blue almost black of the privet. Will clean out and treat the stumps. Going to be a long job though as it is wide spread along the dry creek bed.