Chaste Tree (Vitex)
Vitex agnus-castus, commonly called Chaste Tree, gets its name from the mythic legends of its anaphrodisiac properties. Athenian women used the leaves in their beds to keep themselves chaste during the feasts of Ceres. In Rome, virgins carried twigs as a sign of chastity. The tree was sacred to Hestia, the virginal Greek goddess of hearth.
The spicy fruit and seeds of the tree has been used extensively in herbal medicine to aid the symptoms of female hormonal imbalances as well as other ailments ranging from migraines to premenstrual syndrome.
This Mediterranean plant (a native of southern Europe and western Asia) thrives on heat and rapidly becomes a 20 ft. tree or shrub (with a broad spread) in southern climates. In cooler regions, an 8-10 ft. size is more common. It is cold hardy to zone 7 and may completely die back in winter. Growth will quickly recover the following year. If die-back is minimal, gardeners often cut the plant back to within 1-2 feet in early spring. The plant can be grown as a small tree by pruning the plant to 1-3 main branches and selectively removing side branches.
The leaves are dense and gray-green in color. They are aromatic and divided into 5-7 narrow leaflets measuring 2-6 inches in length. There is no fall color.
The showy flower clusters begin to appear in late summer (August here in Vancouver, Washington). Several cultivars are available in blue, pink or white. The branched panicle-type blooms are upright and measure about 12-18 inches long. Bumblebees absolutely love the blooms and swarm the plants when it is in bloom.
Chaste Tree thrives in full sun and moist, well-drained soil. It can tolerant drought. For best results, however, provide regular watering and at least one fertilizing early in the season to ensure a good show of blooms. Deadheading the spent blooms will encourage more blooms although it can be a tedious task due to the sheer number of blooms.
This is a good plant for a shrub border or used as a specimen. It would make an attractive patio tree.
“Flip Side”, a variety with two-toned color on the top and bottom of the leaves is now available at Yard n’ Garden Land.
‘Flip Side’
