| Scientific Name: | Vitex agnus-castus |
| Common Name: | lilac chaste tree |
| Family Name: | Lamiaceae |
| Origin: | Central / west Asia, Europe |
| Hardiness Zone: | Zone 7: (-18 to -12 °C) |
| Plant Type: | Shrub - deciduous |
| Mature Size: | 2 - 3m x 2 - 3m (height x width) |
| Habit: | Twiggy |
| Form: | Vase |
| Texture: | Medium |
| Landscape Uses: | Attract beneficial insects, Attract birds, Attract butterflies, Mixed shrub border, Small garden/space, Summer interest |
| Exposure: | Full sun |
| Soil or Media: | Well-drained |
| Leaves: | Compound, Opposite, Soft flexible, Glabrous, Pubescent, Tomentose, Digitate (palmate), Elliptic, Lanceolate, Entire |
| Flowers: | Thyrse, Purple, Jul-Aug-Sep |
| Fruit: | Berry (true), Red, Brown, Sep-Oct |
| 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. | |