Vitex agnus-castus

Plant Characteristics

Lifespan:	⌛	perennial
Origin:	✈	?

Cultivation

Exposure:	☼	full sun"full sun" is not in the list (sun, part-sun, shade, unknown) of allowed values for the "Exposure" property., part-sun
Water:	◍	infrequent"infrequent" is not in the list (wet, moist, moderate, dry, less when dormant) of allowed values for the "Water" property., drought tolerant"drought tolerant" is not in the list (wet, moist, moderate, dry, less when dormant) of allowed values for the "Water" property.
Features:	✓	flowers, medicinal"Medicinal" is not in the list (evergreen, deciduous, flowers, fragrance, edible, fruit, naturalizes, invasive, foliage, birds, ...) of allowed values for the "Features" property.

Scientific Names

Verbenaceae >

Vitex >

agnus-castus >

Read about Vitex agnus-castus in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Vitex agnus-castus, Linn. Chaste-Tree. Hemp-tree. Monk's Pepper-Tree. Shrub or small tree, with a strong aromatic odor, grayish tomentose: lvs. long-stalked; lfts. 6-7, lanceolate, acuminate, narrowed at the base into a short stalk, entire or with few coarse teeth, grayish-tomentose beneath, the middle one 3-4 in. long: the fls. in dense, sessile clusters, forming terminal, often panicled spikes 5-7 in. long; corolla usually pale or lilac, grayish outside, 5-7in. long; stamens and style exserted. July-Sept. S. Eu., W. Asia. Var. alba, Rehd. (V. albiflora, Hort. Agnus-castus vulgaris alba, Carr.). Fls. white. CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Cultivation

Grow in almost any type of soil, and prefer dry situations^CH.

Grows best in light loamy soil with good drainage, in a warm sunny sheltered position. Does well in dry soils, does not tolerate soil that remains wet. Hardy to approx. -10°C. Plants only flower freely in a warm summer, so in cooler climates should be grown against a south facing wall. Leaves and stems highly aromatic, with deliciously scented flowers and the dried seeds giving off a strong lemony scent. Flowers produced at ends of the current year's growth, very late in the season. Therefore pruning is best done in the spring.

Propagation

Seeds in spring, greenwood cuttings under glass, layering^CH.

Sow the easy-to-germinate seeds indoors in March. In cooler climate, keep in pots in a greenhouse the first year and winter to give them greater success upon outdoor planting the following summer. Take cuttings in mid-late summer which are 5-8cm of semi-ripe wood, with a heel, or mature wood can be taken in November to be placed in a cold frame.

Pests and diseases

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Gallery

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  Habit

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  Close-up on the flowers (and bumblebee)

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  'Alba'

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  'Alba'

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  'Alba'

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

• w:Vitex agnus-castus. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
• Vitex agnus-castus QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)