According to legend, chaste tree was used by medieval monks who found that chewing its leaves helped them maintain their vows of celibacy. We are staying updated on all recent developments and our primary concerns is to our clients and staff. Vitex agnus-castus may be grown in Zones 6 to 9; it is technically hardy down to about minus-9 degrees Fahrenheit. However, certain hybrids have deep blue, white or pink flowers. It is a fast-growing shrub that can shoot up as much as 7 feet in a single season. Any staff with remote work capabilities are working from home. Chaste tree grows quite well in Southern Arizona, though it has its origins in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. By removing the first flush of flowers as soon as they fade, a second bloom can appear in the summer. By using The Spruce, you accept our, 10 Great Shrubs With Blue or Lavender Flowers, Best Flowers, Shrubs, Vines, and Trees That Attract Hummingbirds, 11 Great Fragrant Trees for Your Landscape. https://www.horticultureunlimited.com/plant-guide/chaste-tree It attracts butterflies and bees, and it makes an excellent honey plant. Its growth rate is vigorous in loose, well-drained soil that is a bit on the dry side. A native to Mediterranean regions, this plant prefers relatively dry soil. Practicing social distancing and conducting (only essential) client interactions at a safe 6’ distance to protect our customers & staff. We want to let all of our customers know that we have precautionary measures in place to ensure the safety and wellness of our customers and employees! This is one of the only species within the Vitex genus that is native to temperate regions; nearly all others are tropical trees and shrubs. Water established chaste trees weekly in the summer and every three to four weeks in winter. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board, Chaste tree, lilac chaste tree, chasteberry, vitex. Frequent & thorough hand washing by all staff. Chaste tree tolerates heavy pruning quite well. In colder climates (zones 5 and 6), this plant sometimes dies back in winter and is grown as a perennial, in much the same way that the butterfly bush is grown in climates with freezing winters. Problems usually occur when the soil is not dry enough. Also called the Chaste tree, Chasteberry, and Lilac Chaste Berry. In northern region, chaste tree should be cut to ground in early spring. We are staffed and ready to serve you with all your landscape installations, landscape maintenance, arborist issues and irrigation repair needs! Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) is a deciduous shrub that bears clusters of purple flowers in the summer. In fact, you should avoid using organic mulches, since they hold too much water. Any staff showing signs or symptoms of illness are being advised to stay home. Chaste trees, which are considered shrubs or small trees, grow 15 to 20 feet (5-6 m.) tall with a spread of 10 to 15 feet (3-5 m.). Staff is eligible to use their available paid sick time for any such occurrence of illness. Long, narrow spikes of purple flowers appear in late spring and early summer. HORTICULTURE UNLIMITED IS NOT A NURSERY OR SUPPLIER. In southern gardens, this plant is often used as an alternative to lilacs, which don't grow well in very warm climates. The chaste tree, which is really a shrub, is a good choice for the shrub border or as a specimen. We obtain necessary materials for installation purposes only, and recommend consulting a nursery or supplier for direct purchasing needs. *Our plant guide provides informational resources regarding plants that we commonly use. If you avoid soil that is too wet or dense, success is nearly guaranteed. Plants grow to 10 to 15 feet tall by 15 to 20 feet wide. Special features: Easy Care , Fast Growing , Tolerates Urban Pollution , Waterwise Chaste TreeVitex agnus-castus. Most gardeners keep this plant to 10 feet or less in height. Over two months or so, the existing leaves will fall off the cuttings, but the other growth nodes will begin to bud and send out green growth. You can encourage continued production by deadheading spent flowers—a task that can be a little irksome with larger shrubs. Growth rate: Fast Average landscape size: Quickly reaches 15 to 25 ft. tall and wide. Sandy or rocky soils are no problem. Very shrub-like and naturally multi-trunked, it can be trained to grow as a small tree eventually reaching a mature size of 20 feet tall with a 20 foot spread. The most common flower color is purple. Chaste tree doesn't require much, if any, feeding. The growth rate is about 15-20ft. Light Requirements: Full sun. Chaste tree does best in well-drained, fertile soil but tolerates drier soils with sufficient irrigation. 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. We have regular staff meetings, all with the above safety measures in place, to continue working together as a team to ensure your safety and ours. The biggest downside to the chaste tree is that it may grow too aggressively, requiring frequent pruning to keep it in check. The purple flower clusters (called panicles) look like those of the butterfly bush (Buddleja spp.) Plant chaste tree in the spring, after all danger of frost is past, in full sun or partial shade. When the bottom of the cutting also begins to develop hair-like roots, the cutting can be transplanted into a pot or into a garden location. Chaste tree is not particularly susceptible to pests or diseases. Use of hand sanitizer whenever it is available. Aphids, whiteflies, and scales may also attack, but they are usually easily controlled with horticultural soaps and oils. (You can also root the cuttings by planting them in a container with moist potting soil.). At most, a single application of a general-purpose balanced fertilizer every year or two will suffice. Vanessa Richins Myers is a seasoned horticulturist, garden writer and educator with 10+ years of experience in the horticulture and gardening space. The leaves have a fragrance similar to that of the herb sage. Hardy to Zone 6 (with protection) tall and wide sometimes taller after 30 years. Prune dead or damaged branches in late spring. copyright © 2020 Horticulture Unlimited, Inc. All rights reserved. Varieties with white flowers are also available. Beautiful spiky dark lilac blooms in late spring and early summer. It is sometimes trained as a single-trunk small tree. Horticulture Unlimited is here to help you. Chaste tree is an easy-to-grow shrub that poses few challenges to a home gardener. This shrub can handle acidic to slightly alkaline soils, but it does not like very rich soil, since this can hold too much moisture around the roots. Cleaning & sanitizing of commonly touched areas of our facility on a daily (or more frequent) basis. The biggest downside to the chaste tree is that it may grow too aggressively, requiring frequent pruning to keep it in check. It can, in fact, escape a garden and become invasive if it naturalizes in the wild. The leaves of the chaste tree are very reminiscent of the marijuana plant (Cannabis sativa), with five leaflets in a palm-shaped arrangement. It does equally well in the high humidity of the Southeast U.S. as in the arid climate of the Southwest. Yearly pruning during winter will help keep the shrub in an attractive shape and control its size. Clip off a 12- to 18-inch branch tip, then cut off the flowering end portion. It is commonly used in shrub borders, for foundation plantings, and in butterfly gardens—butterflies and other pollinators love the blooms. In colder climates, this plant is often pruned down right to the ground just before winter. The first year, water chaste tree every seven to ten days. Mature Height: 20 ft. Growth Rate: Fast. This is a problem mostly in certain areas of southern U.S. states—call your local garden center or cooperative extension service to seek advice on growing chaste tree. To shape into a tree form, prune the lowest branches and any suckers or side shoots each spring, until the crown is as tall as you desire. Supervisory staff is secondarily monitoring all workers for signs of illness and are sending home anyone who displays symptoms of illness prior to their entrance to our facility. As you might expect with such an easy-to-grow plant, Vitex roots quite easily. You can train a chaste tree into a small tree with a single trunk by pruning away completing shoots to encourage a central leader. The name "chaste tree" came about because consuming the flowers was thought to suppress libido. Also, remove the leaves from the bottom half of the cutting. Several cultivars of chaste tree are widely sold: Chaste tree is grown for its interesting, fragrant foliage and for the flowers that appear in late summer after most flowering shrubs have finished their display. Wildlife shuns the seeds, and it’s just as well because you’ll have to remove the flower spikes before they go to seed to keep the plant flowering. Because it flowers on new wood, your chaste tree will return to a 3- to 5-foot flowering shrub each year, even with this fierce pruning routine. It can survive on low amounts of water but does best with regular, deep irrigations. Choose a location where the water drains away instead of gathering. The deciduous, aromatic foliage consists of compound, lance-shaped leaves that are a grey-green color above and silvery on the underside. The easiest way to propagate a chaste tree plant is by rooting some branch cuttings. The upright clusters of lavender-blue, summer-blooming flowers and aromatic gray-green leaves attract butterflies. Put the cutting into a vase of water, and set it in a location that receives morning sun but afternoon shade. The black fruit contains four seeds that look like peppercorns and are sometimes used to flavor food. Like most shrubs, chaste tree is best planted in the spring to give it plenty of time to establish roots before winter dormancy. Flower/Fruit: 6"-12" blue/lilac, white or pink panicles, small gray/brown fruit. This explains the name of this lovely ornamental tree. In most regions, you will not need to water a chaste tree at all once it is established. Chaste tree is an easy-to-grow shrub that poses few challenges to a home gardener. It is also a good choice for xeriscape gardens where irrigation water is used sparingly. Chaste tree will grow well in full sun to part shade, though best flowering occurs in full sun. A low water tree once established. We offer online meetings for your comfort. Usually, the only problems you see on Vitex agnus-castus are root rots, nematodes, and leaf spots, though these are not common. If you avoid soil that is too wet or dense, success is nearly guaranteed. It can, in fact, escape a garden and become invasive if it naturalizes in the wild. 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