Scientific Name:
Vitex agnus-castus
Pronunciation:
VY-teks AG-nus KAS-tus
Common Name:
lilac chaste tree
Family Name:
Lamiaceae
Plant Type:
Shrub - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Leaves opposite, pamately compound with (3-)5-7(-9) leaflets, most lanceolate-elliptic, centre leaflet 10-15cm long x 1-3cm wide, grayish-green, aromatic when bruised, margin entire (rarely toothed towards apex), undersides tomentose; panicles up to 30cm long, florets tiny, fragrant, lavender to pale violet, Jul-Sep; drupes nearly round, reddish-brown, 3mm wide, patially covered by calyx. Winter ID: twigs with dense, short grey trichomes; leaf scar U-shaped; lateral buds wedge-shaped to rounded, ~2mm long.
Habit:
Twiggy
Form:
Vase
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
2 - 3m
Mature Spread:
2 - 3m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Central / west Asia, Europe (Mediterranean)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 7: (-18 to -12 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Attract beneficial insects, Attract birds, Attract butterflies, Mixed shrub border, Small garden/space, Summer interest
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Compound
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Pubescent, Tomentose
Compound Leaf:
Digitate (palmate)
Colour in Summer:
Green, Silver / Grayish
Colour in Fall:
Yellow
Shapes:
Elliptic, Lanceolate
Apices:
Acuminate, Acute
Bases:
Attenuate
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Thyrse, Panicle-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Colour (petals):
Showy, Purple
Flower Scent:
Fragrant
Flower Time at Peak:
Jul, Aug, Sep
Fruit Type:
Berry (true)
Fruit Colour:
Red, Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Bark Morphology:
Plated, Smooth
Bark or Stem Colour:
Grey, Brown
Other:
Prune winter kill (to ground if necessary), and after flowering
Pest Susceptibility:
Fungal leaf spot, Root rot (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant, Drought tolerant)
