Vitex

( VYE - tex )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus, commonly called Chaste Tree, includes deciduous and evergreen shrubs and trees, and needs full sun and moderate to regular water. These plants are valued for their handsome foliage and clusters of purple flowers in summer and autumn. The blooms will attract butterflies and honeybees to your garden. Vitex trees and shrubs are native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the globe, and are a source of lumber in some areas.

Vitex Species and Varietals

The large genus Vitex includes about 250 species, and is a member of the plant family Lamiaceae, though it was once considered a part of the Verbenaceae family. It was first formally described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 publication Species Plantarum. The best growing zones for Chaste Tree vary depending on the species grown. For more information, see the descriptions below. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Vitex agnus-castus (Chaste Tree, Chasteberry, Abraham's Balm, Lilac Chastetree, Monk's Pepper)
This species can take the form of a deciduous tree or shrub and grows well in zones 4-24, H1 and H2. They are native to the Mediterranean and central Asia, and grow quickly to 25 feet tall and wide. Can be single or multi-trunked and in cooler areas, only reaches about 8-10 feet tall and wide. In even cooler areas, where it freezes to the ground, it takes the form of a shrubby perennial about 3-5 feet tall and wide. Leaves are grey-green above and grey underneath, and flowers are small, fragrant and lavender blue, blooming in spikes in summer through fall. The flowers will attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. Varieties are listed below. Resistant to oak root fungus and great as a shrub border.

'Alba'
With white flowers.

'Silver Spire'
With white flowers.

'Rosea'
Variety with pink flowers.

'Shoal Creek'
Profuse bloomer with violet-blue flowers.

Vitex agnus-castus latifolia
Sturdy plant with larger leaflets.

Vitex doniana (Black Plum, Plem, Uchakoro, Mfudu, Mfuu, Munyamazi, Yuelo, Kashilumbalu, Wild African Black Plum, Koronfinfin)
These trees are often cultivated for their fruits, and reach up to between 13 and 26 feet tall when mature. They

Vitex lignum-vitae (Yellow Hollywood)
These rainforest trees are native to Australia, and reach up to 100 feet tall. Trunks are creamy to brown with horizontal lines or fissures. Bark sheds in small flakes. Bases of larger trees can have buttress roots. Flowers are pale purple, and bloom throughout the year, most profusely in April. Fruits that follow are red.

Vitex negundo (Chinese Chaste Tree, Five-Leaved Chaste Tree, Horseshoe Vitex, Nisinda)
These large, aromatic shrubs have reddish-brown bark and toothed to serrated green leaves. Flowers are white to blue in color, with petals of differing lengths. Fruits that follow are succulent drupes, and are black to purple when ripe.

Vitex parviflora (Smallflower Chaste Tree, Molave Tree, Tugas, Molave Wood)
These trees are valued in the Philippines for their dense, durable wood that was once used extensively to make furniture, boats, utensils, and as a construction material. It is native to Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Up to 100 feet tall, with light purple flowers and glossy green foliage with wavy edges.

Vitex rotundifolia (Beach Vitex, Pohinahina, Roundleaf Chastetree)
This species is an evergreen shrub that grows well in zones 13-24, H1 and H2 and is native to the coastal areas of Hawai'i, Australia, and Asia, and forms a sprawling groundcover. Leaves are medium green and aromatic, and flowers are blue-purple and form on short spikes. Blooms year-round in warmer areas, and in summer in cooler areas of its zone range. Produces small blue-black berries after flowers fade.

Caring for and pruning vitex shrubs

Vitex shrubs can be planted in either full sun or partial shade, though they will flower better in sun. Although these shrubs are adaptable to various types of soil, it is essential that it is well-draining and has a pH of between 6.0 and 7.0. Amend planting area with plenty of organic matter before installing. Water regularly while the plant is getting established to form a strong root system. After maturity hits, these shrubs are generally drought-tolerant, and soil can be allowed to dry out in between deep waterings. These shrubs are not heavy feeders, though they may benefit from a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer applied in early springtime to support the year's growth and flowering.

Prune in late winter or early spring before new growth begins to pop out. These trees and shrubs bloom on new wood, so pruning at this time encourages the development of new growth and subsequently, more flowers. Remove spent blooms to encourage more to blossom. Remove dead or damaged wood and shape the plant as desired. These plants can be grown in containers, but they may not reach their full size potential or perform as well in these conditions. If you choose to grow Vitex in a container, make sure that the soil is very well-draining and that the container has drainage holes in the bottom.

Propagation

Vitex can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your shrub or tree, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Vitex by Cutting

Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off (except the top two. Each cutting should have at least two nodes. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Vitex by Seed

Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
Harvest your seeds in late fall or early winter, when they have been starting to get released from the pods. Cut entire spikes off of the plant, and place the spikes in a paper bag. Shake the bag to release the seeds.
Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 30 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.