Home and Landscape
Chaste Tree
- Vitex agnus-castus
- Family Verbenaceae (Verbena family)
Plant Identification
The chaste tree is a deciduous shrub or small tree that is widely adapted to many areas. It can grow from about 6 feet tall in colder climate zones to about 25 feet tall in more temperate climates. Chaste trees are broad spreading and usually found as multi-trunked specimens. Flowers are white, pinkish, or bluish purple spikes that appear in the summer and fall.
Optimum conditions for growth
The chaste tree grows best in full sun and in well-drained soils. It will tolerate drought and less optimum soils, but growth and flowering will be limited. In moist soils, growth can be rapid, but blooms will not be as vibrant in color. Chaste trees require heat for best flowering. The chaste tree is resistant to oak root fungus.
