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Vitex or Chaste Tree

Deciduous large multi stemmed shrub or small round-headed tree. From Southern Europe and Western Asia.

Scientific Name:

Vitex agnus-castus

Mature Height:

10 - 15'
May grow to 25' in some locations

Mature Spread:

15 - 20'

Leaves:

5 - 7 narrow lobes (palmate) aromatic gray-green leaves. No fall color.

Flowers:

Small, lavender blue flowers in 6 - 12" spikes as branch ends. Also white and pink varieties. Flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies. Blooms spring to fall.

Fruit:

Fleshy, black, no significant litter.

Root System:

No large surface roots.

Growth Rate:

Rapid when young.

Cultural Notes:

Prefers a loose, well-drained soil on the dry side. Full sun. Tolerates alkaline soil. Resists oak root fungus.

Sacramento Specimen:

2390 Drayton Drive, 95825

Minimum Planting Distances

• from SMUD pad mounted equipment (such as a transformer mounted on a concrete pad): 8 feet
• from a building foundation: 6 feet
• from walks and driveways: 5 feet
• from an air conditioner: 3 feet
• from a fence: 3 feet
• from a utility offset (such as an underground line, pipe or cable): 3 feet
• from a utility overhead (such as an overhead power line): 0 feet
• from a swimming pool: 6 feet
• from a septic system: 15 feet
• between trees*: 12 feet

* To calculate the planting distance between different size trees, add the distances between each species in the column and divide answer in half. Example: the distance between a Red Maple (large tree) and Amur Maple (small tree) is calculated: 25 feet + 15 feet = 40 feet ÷ 2 = 20 feet. The distance between these two different size trees should be 20 feet.