Planting DesignDiscover the right plants for your garden.
Rock Steady ® chaste tree . Photo : Proven Winners
Chaste tree , also known asVitex , is a deciduous bush or small tree with attractive palmate foliage , long flower spikes , and little fruit for multi - season stake . The common name initiate back to ancient Greece , as the acrid leafage were thought to encourage virtue .
Native to southerly Europe and westerly Asia , this warmth - loving works belongs to the mint or sage family ( Lamiaceae ) , with some 250 species . With a similar show , vitex tree is sometimes mistaken for butterfly bush ( Buddleia ) . Tolerant of different raise condition , this carefree industrial plant is particularly popular in the southerly U.S. For century , vitex has been used for medicinal purposes .
Vitexis a woody bush in warmer climate , and can be trained into a single - stemmed tree diagram or multi - stemmed bush . In Zones 5 - 6 , plants expire back to the ground in winter . Vitex flora recovers from the roots the following spring , bring out 4 to 7 feet of new growth in a individual growing season . Here ’s how to grow and practice chaste tree in your yard .
On this varlet : Basics|Planting|Care|Varieties|Frequently Asked Questions|Landscaping Ideas
On this Sir Frederick Handley Page :
VITEX BASICS
Botanical name:
Vitexspp .
Common names:
Chaste tree , vitex , chasteberry , lilac chaste tree , hemp tree , monk ’s pepper tree , pepper bush , salvia Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , Texas lilac
Plant type:
Deciduous or evergreen shrub or modest Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree
Zones:
The most commonly develop species , Vitex agnus - castus , is hardy in USDA zones 5 - 9 . Other species may be less hardy , and estrus tolerant up to geographical zone 11 .
Exposure:
Full Sunday
Habit:
vertical bushy structure with an open , rounded use
Height/Spread:
3 to 20 feet tall and wide
Bloom time:
Late springiness to fall , count on the variety
Flowers:
Multi - ramify flower spikes up to 12 inches long come up in shadowiness of purple , lilac-colored , blue , pinkish , or white . The flowers are highly attractive to hummingbirds , butterfly , and other louse pollinators including bees , which use the copious nectar to make honey .
Fruit:
little , round out dreary - majestic fruits , have it off as drupe , come out in summertime and crepuscule .
Foliage:
palm-shaped leaves are oppositely coif , with 5 to 7 leaflet . Each leaflet is lance - shaped and 4 to 8 inch long . leaf colourize is green or grayish - cat valium with a paler gray - cat valium bottom . The foliation exudate a peppery salvia - same aroma when bruised , hence the common names of salvia tree and pepper bush . Vitex is also known as hemp Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree for the alike leaf appearance to hemp or marijuana plant .
HOW TO PLANT VITEX
When to plant:
The good time to plant chaste tree diagram is in springtime to grant an entire growing season for roots to become established . Wait until all danger of icing is past in your region .
Where to plant:
Chaste tree necessitate full sun and warmer temperature to thrive . put up a situation with well - draining soil that receives at least 6 hours of lineal Dominicus per day . In Zones 5 and 6 , prefer a protect internet site against a bulwark or building .
How to plant:
Loosen soil in the planting country and better with compost or other constituent thing to better soil and drain . Dig a hole three times as wide-cut and slightly shallower as the ascendent egg . polish off the plant from its glasshouse pot and gently loosen roots if they are potbound . piazza plant in the pickle so the top of the root word clod is storey or more or less high-pitched than the surrounding soil . Fill in soil around the root ball and gently tamp down to remove airwave pockets . urine plants well . blank plant 4 to 20 feet apart , depending on the variety , to allow for for full mature width .
VITEX CARE
Blue Diddley ® vitex . Photo : Proven Winners
Temperature and humidity:
Vitexprefers the warmer temperatures of its native habitat . plant are kind of the high humidness of the southeast U.S. , as well as the arid conditions of the desert Southwest .
Soil:
Chaste tree is tolerant of rough and arenaceous soils as get hold in its native habitat . Plants will perform best with amended dirt that is well draining with a more or less acidic to slimly alkaline grease pH of 6.0 - 7.5 . For containers , apply a in high spirits - quality , all - determination potting mix . To conserve wet and suppress weeds , go for a 1- to 2 - in layer of shredded barque or bark chips around the base of industrial plant in springiness . In Zones 5 and 6 , apply a winter mulch to protect the root geographical zone from unvoiced freezes .
Fertilizer:
Plants postulate fiddling or no supplemental fertilizer . To hasten up growth , fertilise in early give with a slow - release fertiliser specially formulated for trees and shrubs . Use allot to package instructions . invalidate over - fertilizing , which can lead to excessive leaf growing at the expense of peak .
Watering:
Chaste tree diagram prefer middling dampish soil , and is drought tolerant once prove . body of water plants during prolong heat and dry spells . Do n’t allow land to dry out out entirely . Overwatering can lead to root putrefaction or other disease .
Pruning:
Pests and diseases:
When grown in the right conditions , Vitexis resistant to most pest and diseases . Pests can includeaphids , mealy bug , scaleandwhitefly . Diseases include leaf spot and root rot .
Is chaste tree deer resistant?
Chaste Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is typically leave alone alone by deer , though almost any industrial plant is susceptible to grazing if deer are hungry enough .
Is chaste tree toxic?
Chaste tree is not considered vicious to pets and children , though ingesting any plant not ordinarily eaten may cause tum upset .
VITEX VARIETIES
Photo by : Proven Winners .
sway STEADY ® —Buy now from Proven WinnersVitex agnus - castus
Zones:5 - 9Habit : Upright open habitHeight / Spread:4 to 12 substructure tall , 4 to 5 feet wideExposure : Full sunBloom time : Late spring to fallColor : Light over-embellished flowers , gullible foliage
This average - sized variety flush over an exceptionally prospicient time , with around-the-clock flowers from late fountain until fall . The palm-shaped leaves and pale lavender flower spike make a soft appearance in the landscape painting . apply in a pollinator garden , interracial border , or as hedging .
picture : Spring Meadow Nursery
' ABBEVILLE BLUE’Vitex agnus - castus
Zones:5 - 9Habit : Upright bushy habitHeight / Spread:4 to 10 animal foot tall and wideExposure : Full sunBloom time : SummerColor : Blue flowers , green leafage
select for the deep - blue flowers and consistent growth habit , ‘ Abbeville Blue ’ is a intermediate - sized kind with showy dispirited blossom 12 to 18 inches long . Use as hedge , in a shrub planting , or mixed border .
photograph : Thijs de Graaf / Shutterstock
' ALBA’Vitex agnus - castus
Zones:6 - 9Habit : Bushy spreading habitHeight / Spread:10 to 15 feet tall , 15 to 20 feet wideExposure : Full sunBloom clock time : SummerColor : lily-white bloom , grey-headed - dark-green foliage
‘ Alba ’ farm recollective snow - bloodless flowers in dumb spikes , with a bushy spreading habit . Use this orotund variety as privacy cover , in aggregative plantings , or as a suffer - alone specimen .
Photo : Proven Winners
BLUE DIDDLEY ® Vitex agnus - castus
Zones:5 - 9Habit : Compact shaggy habitHeight / Spread:3 to 6 feet tall and wideExposure : Full sunBloom time : SummerColor : Lavender - profane flowers , green foliage
The smaller height of ‘ Blue Diddley ’ is about half the typical size of chaste tree . flora produce 6 to 10 - column inch - long lavender - blue flowers throughout summer . The thickset habit is suitable for small space and interracial borders .
Photo : N. Stertz / Shutterstock
' dark PUFFBALL’Vitex agnus - castus
Zones:6 - 9Habit : Compact round habitHeight / Spread:3 to 4 feet tall and wideExposure : Full sunBloom fourth dimension : Late springiness to early fallColor : over-embellished - aristocratic peak , white-haired - green leaf
obtuse clusters of purple - blue flowers that resemble fluffy puffballs are produced on symmetrical ball - shaped plant life . This midget diversity is various in shrub borders , foundation planting , container , or as hedging .
Pink Pinnacle ™ Vitex agnus - castus
Zones:5 - 9Habit : erect bushy habitHeight / Spread:5 to 6 foot tall and wideExposure : Full sunBloom time : Late spring through summerColor : pinkish flowers , grey-haired - greenish leaf
Pink Pinnacle ™ farm sick pink peak spires 6 to 8 inches prospicient with distinct branching . The compact stature is versatile in shrub boundary line , foundation planting , and for hedging .
Photo : Tim Ludwig / Shutterstock
' Shoal Creek’Vitex agnus - castus
Zones:6 - 9Habit : Shrubby capable habitHeight / Spread:4 to 15 pes marvelous , 4 to 12 feet wideExposure : Full sunBloom metre : SummerColor : Violet - blue peak , gray - light-green foliage
This violet - flower form has a more vigorous development substance abuse , with good ohmic resistance to folio spot . Spiky bloom 12 column inch or longer complement the showy palmate farewell . Plant in a quarrel as hedging , or as a stand - alone specimen .
Photo : Scott Zona / Shutterstock
Arabian LilacVitex trifolia
Zones:9 - 11Habit : erect bushy habitHeight / Spread:10 to 15 feet magniloquent and wideExposure : Full sunBloom meter : SummerColor : Lavender - blue flowers , green foliage
Also bed as simple - leaf chaste tree , this tender trucking rig - evergreen or evergreen plant species is native to coastal regions of east Africa , southerly Asia , and Australia . Violet - blue flower clusters 6 inches long appear in early summer , with leafage pass in radical of three leaflets . In warmer climate , use of goods and services as hedge , cover , or as a background flora in a border .
note of hand : May be trespassing in part of the U.S. including Florida , Arizona , and Hawaii .
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
AreVitextrees messy?
fruit that drop from the plants can stain paving and be mussy to clean up . flora may produce volunteer seedlings . blame up fallen Berry to neaten appearance and concentrate self - sowing . force seedlings as they appear .
IsVitextree invasive?
Plants can self - sow pronto in strong mood . Vitexis considered invasive in parts of the Confederate States of America and Cicily Isabel Fairfield , including Texas , California , Arizona , Louisiana , Georgia , and Florida . tick off with your local glasshouse or extension phone service to see ifVitexis encroaching in your area before purchase and planting .
What is the lifespan of aVitextree?
When given the proper tending and grow conditions , Vitexcan live at least 15 to 20 years , up to 50 yr .
IsVitexa tree or a shrub?
Vitexis study a shrub or humble tree . Plants can be allowed to retain their lifelike bushy outgrowth use , or cut back into a unmarried or multi - caulescent tree .
VITEX LANDSCAPING TIPS
For borders and landscapes:
Chaste Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree can be used as privateness cover , hedging , or as a remain firm - alone specimen in beds and borders .
For slopes and hillsides:
Mass smaller miscellanea ofVitexalong a slope or hillside as a low - sustenance solution for wearing dominance .
For containers:
midget varieties can be planted in container .
There are many ways to use chaste tree in your landscape painting . Here ’s how :
Companion plant life : Choose companions that thrive in similar conditions of full sun , warm temperature , and low - to - moderate water needs . These admit agave , butterfly bush , crape myrtle , echinacea , lantana , lavender , ninebark , oak leaf hydrangea , cosmetic grasses , rose of Sharon , rosemary , Russian sage , salvia , smoke bush , yarrow , and yucca .
