Vitex agnus-castus

Monks Pepper Tree, Chaste Tree

Tree

This small, deciduous tree has leaves that look like marijuana and have a peppery aroma. It has single (rare) or multiple trunks and a usually wide-spreading crown. It will remain a shrub without irrigation, growing no more than six feet high. It will quickly reach 15 to 20 feet with moderate amounts of water. The trunk has gray, stringy bark and becomes gnarly with age. Resistant to Texas Root rot. Scented foliage.

Temperature

Hardy to 20F. Revels in heat.

Water requirements

Moderate to occasional.

Sun

Part, full or reflected sun.

Soil

Tolerant of wide range of soil conditions. Grows best in rich deep soils, but produces fewer flowers.

Maintenance

Periodic light trimming to maintain tree form.

Disadvantages

Occasionally gets wood rot. Twiggy winter form is not especially attractive unless thinned and shaped a bit.

Bloom

Numerous flower spikes seven inches long appear above foliage in early summer and again occasionally through summer into fall. Flowers are usually lavender.

Fruit or Seeds

Tiny, woody, round capsules ('peppers') follow blossom.

Uses

Patio or lawn tree. Specimen tree. Residential use. Borders when a shrub.

Origin

Native of southern Europe but has naturalized in warm areas of the United States. Member of the Verbenaceae family.

Cultivars

'Rosea' has pinkish flowers. 'Alba' has white flowers.

Themes

Desert Transitional, Mediterranean, Butterfly, Fragrant.

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