Best grown in loose, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Plant in sheltered locations north of USDA Zone 7. In USDA Zones 5 and 6, this shrub often suffers winter dieback or dies to the ground.

Where does chaste berry grow?

Chaste tree is a shrub that bears violet flowers and berries. It’s also called vitex agnus-castus. The medicinal parts are the dried fruit and leaves. The plant comes from the Mediterranean and western Asia.

Is Vitex a fast growing tree?

The Vitex Tree – Fast growing tree for Southwest landscape design.

Are Vitex trees native to Texas?

General information: A favorite in Texas gardens, the Texas Lilac Vitex grows quickly and offers easy maintenance. Although thought to be a native of China, India and Southern Europe, it has been cultivated in North America for over 300 years.

Are vitex trees Hardy?

Vitex agnus-castus may be grown in Zones 6 to 9; it is technically hardy down to about -9 degrees Fahrenheit. But in zones 6, it often is grown more as a perennial plant rather than a shrub, since it may die back to the ground each winter, regrowing in spring.

Where is vitex native to?

Vitex agnus-castus, also called vitex, chaste tree (or chastetree), chasteberry, Abraham’s balm, lilac chastetree, or monk’s pepper, is a native of the Mediterranean region. It is one of the few temperate-zone species of Vitex, which is on the whole a genus of tropical and sub-tropical flowering plants.

Is vitex tree invasive?

Vitex agnus-castus is a member of the Verbenaceae family, native to the woodlands and dry areas of Southern Europe and western Africa. … We think you should also be aware that vitex is considered an invasive plant in several states.

Can vitex grow in Florida?

Florida gardeners should plant chastetree in full sun or partial shade. Be sure to leave it room to grow, since this vase-shaped plant can reach 10 to 15 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide. … Chastetree is deciduous and may lose its leaves after a cold frost. This should not worry gardeners.

Is vitex and butterfly bush the same?

The Vitex is also known as the Chasteberry, Sage Tree, Monk’s Pepper or Chaste Tree and is similar in looks to Butterfly Bush (Buddleia). It is known to be a hardy woody plant which resists cold, drought, and advances from deer. The long, cone-shaped blooms of the Vitex will add color and texture to your garden.

Do deer eat vitex tree?

Once established, vitex is very drought tolerant and fits in well to a lower-maintenance landscape. It prospers in hot and dry environments. It is deer-resistant in that deer will not eat it.

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Is vitex a tree or a bush?

Vitex, Texas Lilac, or Chaste Tree. Deciduous large shrub or small tree with distinctive palmately compound leaves. Profuse spikes of lavender flowers, blooming heavily in the early summer, and then sporadically throughout the summer and fall. Vitex is heat, drought and pest tolerant.

Is vitex tree messy?

Plant of the Week- Chaste or Pepper Tree – Vitex Angnus – Caretaker Landscape. Long, narrow spikes of purple flowers cover this plant in the summer months. … Unfortunately, this tree is fairly messy, shedding all of its leaves in the fall, and dropping old flowers and seeds throughout the year.

Is Vitex tree evergreen?

vitex trifolia Evergreen shrub or small shrubby tree. Zones CS, TS; USDA 9-11. Native to Asia and Australia. Fast growth to 1220 feet high and wide.

Do Vitex trees shed?

Chastetree (Vitex agnus-castus) is a deciduous (loses its leaves in the fall), multi-trunked shrub or small tree that is native to southern Europe and western Asia. It is an excellent selection for southern landscapes in USDA zones 7-9, but will have cold damage or be killed to the ground in USDA zones 6 and colder.

Do Vitex trees need full sun?

Chaste trees need full sun and very well-drained soil. It’s best not to plant them in soil that is rich in organic matter because organically rich soils hold too much moisture close to the roots. Chaste trees do very well in xeric gardens where water is scarce.

How much is a Vitex tree?

Purple Vitex Chaste Trees – $6 each – Grown in quart Containers 6-12″ tall – Shipped in packs of 4, 6, 9, 12, and 16.

Can you grow vitex in a container?

Make sure to choose a container with drainage holes at the bottom and one that is large enough to allow for 2 to 3 years of growth before having to shift up to a larger size container. This might mean your planting pot would be 8 inches or more in width than the root ball of your chase tree.

How long do Vitex trees live?

Fast growers grow old fast, too: average life span is 15 to 20 years. Being an average, that means yours might live to 40 or beyond if it is in well-drained soil and you are in a less humid part of Zone 7, 8 or 9. Mild winters, hot summers and dry air are the chaste tree trifecta.

Is Vitex native to Virginia?

Vitex rotundifolia is a perennial, deciduous, woody shrub indigenous to coastal sand dunes of eastern and southern Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.

Can you grow Vitex from a cutting?

You can also propagate vitex from cuttings. To do this, steal a 4- to 6-inch softwood cutting from your neighbor’s plant in late spring or early summer. It’s important that you choose a piece of stem that’s neither brand new, nor fully mature. You can determine this by bending a stem.

Why is vitex called chaste tree?

The plant gets its name from the belief that it is an anaphrodisiac (decreases libido). It is cultivated in warm climates for its foliage and showy flower spikes that attract butterflies and other pollinators.

Can you eat vitex berries?

Vitex agnus-castus has mild and reversible side effects and is considered safe for most people. However, pregnant or nursing women, as well as individuals using certain types of medications, may want to abstain.

Is there a white vitex?

The White Vitex tree is an attractive tree, with clusters of colorful flower spikes in Summer to Fall. … It can reach heights of 15 to 25 feet, and prefers Summer heat for more colorful blooms. This particular white blooming tree features white blooms.

Do hummingbirds like Vitex?

Vitex Chaste tree is an attractive small tree which blooms in dense clusters of fragrant pale purple flowers. Bloom over an extended season during the summer months when little else is flowering and offers hummingbirds food. A great idea for hummingbird and butterfly habitat.

Is Vitex a host plant?

Vitex agnus-castus L., a shrub in the Verbenaceae, hosted the largest number of H. obsoletus, although Olea europaea L. also served as a host for adults.

Why butterfly bush is bad?

The shrub is actually considered to be invasive, meaning it competes with the native plants in the area and will continue to spread and be harmful to the local eco-system. … Not only is butterfly bush harmful for the eco-system but it’s also an ineffective host plant for butterflies despite the name.

Do birds eat Vitex berries?

Vitex (Vitex angus-castus): Vitex is one of my favorite trees, and I try to incorporate at least one in the gardens I design. It is a small to medium tree that blooms beautiful lavender flowers in May. Those blooms turn into dense seed heads that birds absolutely devour during the winter.

Is chaste tree a lilac?

This season, a blooming tree with pretty lilac flower spikes has been catching our eyes, and we think it’s a gorgeous planting for Southern gardens. Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) is also known as Texas lilac tree, Vitex, chasteberry, and Monk’s pepper.

Is a chaste tree invasive?

Vitex agnus-castus (Chaste Tree) is listed in the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.

Do rabbits eat Vitex trees?

Chaste tree is often planted to assist in apiculture. Deer and Rabbits don’t eat it. Growing Chase Tree (Vitex agnus castus) from Seed.

How quickly do Vitex grow?

It freely reseeds and can become weedy. In warmer climates, it can be trained grow as small, single trunk tree or a large shrub. Although typically grown as a 10-15′ shrub, in tree form, it can reach heights of up to 20′. This long-lived specimens rapid growth rate can add up to 24″ per year in height.