Vitex or chaste trees produce clouds of stunning purple flowers in summer.
They are typically violet-blue but may be purple, pink, or white.
Both flowers and leaves have a distinct spicy fragrance.
Credit:Jean Allsop
Several varieties have a more compact size better suited to smaller gardens.
Where to Plant a Chaste Tree
This heat-loving plant needs full sun to grow its best.
It prefers slightly acidic to neutral, well-drained soil.
Credit:Marty Baldwin
Because it grows as broad as it is tall, be sure to allow plenty of space.
It is also effective as a background plant in amixed sunny border garden.
The plants are late to leaf out and start growing, but once they do they grow rapidly.
Thoroughly water the plant in its container before gently lifting it out.
Loosen the roots with a claw tool or your fingers.
Dig a hole twice as wide and about the same depth as the root ball.
If yoursoil is dense clay, add some compost to loosen it.
Tamp the soil as you go to eliminate air pockets.
Water when the hole is half filled and again when the hole is completely filled.
Chaste Tree Care Tips
Once established, the chaste tree is nearly carefree.
It has few pests and minimal disease issues.
Depending on the look youre after, annual pruning may be your biggest maintenance chore.
While it will grow with less sun, it will not flower nearly as well.
Soil and Water
Well-draining soilis critical for chaste trees.
In consistently wet soil, roots will rot.
If your soil is heavy clay, amend it with compost or choose a different site.
These plants are moderately salt-tolerant.
It tolerates dry soil.
Temperature and Humidity
This is a heat-loving plant that also tolerates high humidity.
It can survive winter temperatures to minus 9F.
Fertilizer
Avoid over-fertilizing this plant because it will produce excessive foliage at the expense of flowers.
A small amount of slow-release fertilizer sprinkled beneath its drip line every other spring should suffice.
Pruning
Majorpruning is best done in late winter.
To shorten a branch, cut back to a bud or side branch.
Alternatively, cut the entire plant back to the ground and let it resprout in spring.
To encourage continuous flowering and discourage self-sowing,remove spent blooms.
Potting and Repotting
Small and compact chaste tree varieties are suitable for container growing.
Excellent drainage of the potting mix is equally important.
Few diseases bother this shrub unless it is growing in a soggy location where root rot can occur.
Avoid such sites, orimprove the soil drainage.
Take cuttings four to six inches long, remove any flower buds and the bottom leaves.
Keep the growing medium damp but not soggy.
After about 6 weeks, roots should form.
If more than one cutting has rooted, transplant the extra cuttings to separate containers.
The chaste tree reseeds itself freely so you might find volunteer seedlings near your plant.
Dig them up and transplant them in a suitable location or a pot.
To start a chaste tree from seed, collect and extract the seed from mature fruit in the fall.
After the seeds have germinated, transplant the seedlings to a larger container in the spring.
Marty Baldwin
Types of Chaste Tree
Selections vary in size and flower color.
Newer more compact varieties are better suited to smaller landscapes.
It produces non-stop lavender blooms over a very long season.
Pink Panicle
This variety bears medium pink blooms on compact 4- to 8-foot plants.
Frequently Asked Questions
The reason behind poor flowering is most likely lack of sunlight.
Chaste trees need a minimum of 6 hours of direct sun per day.
You may need to prune nearby trees or move the chaste tree to a sunnier spot.
Another issue could be overfertilizing, which encourages vegetative growth at the expense of flower production.
Historically the fragrant leaves were recommended as an anaphrodisiac to suppress the libido.
Although this is not recognized as a viable use, it gave rise to the name, chaste tree.
“North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension.
