Vibrant Vitex

Summertime is in full swing all around the perimeters of Pleasant Run. Bees are buzzing, butterflies are flitting about, goldfinches are happily lapping up coneflower seeds on spent flowerheads. We’re adding new inventory left and right, getting ready for a fall season that is anticipated to be just as hair-pullingly busy as spring, and rediscovering some of our favorite selections that have proven themselves to be timeless garden workhorses.

Amongst these, our crops of Vitex agnus-castus, which I am perhaps a bit partial to, are magnificent in all of their glory. Standing proud and regal, seemingly unbothered by neither pest nor disease, with a pleasingly quick growth rate and the ability to withstand heat, salt spray, and drought, Vitex agnus-castus is as beautiful and intriguing as it is multi-functional in a variety of landscapes.

As with many plants of the “Old World”, Vitex agnus-castus has a rich history as a medicinally prominent plant, with records indicating its use as far back as Ancient Greece. Throughout much of human civilization, Vitex agnus-castus has been referred to as the chastetree, with its fruits called chasteberries, due to their presumed (and also scientifically proven) ability to balance overactive hormones and promote reproductive health. Initially, monks would consume chasteberry seeds as a way to safeguard their chastity, and twigs and blossoms of chastetree would be carried or worn by young women as a way to display their purity.

In fact, the specific epithet of this particular Vitex species refers to the traditional uses of the plant, having been named by Roman physician and botanist (read: mad scientist) Dioscorides. Although it might seem a bit redundant, its name really does get the point across quite well: ágnos, the Roman word translating to “holy”, or “pure”, paired with the Latin castitas for “chastity”, is enough to give a nomenclature-connoisseur all of the information they need to be able to easily decode the origins and develop some cultural analysis of this particular shrub.

The traditional medicinal beliefs and functions that have stuck to Vitex agnus-castus for millennia are tied into some very real modern-day preparations and research studies, with commercially available Vitex supplements, teas, and tinctures available on the market today. It is commonly used for remedying women’s hormonal issues, coincidentally in the same vein as it was prescribed for during ancient times, although is best done so under a knowledgeable practitioner. Otherwise, one of the side effects of overconsuming chasteberries is formication, or the feeling of having insects crawling on or under your skin. No, thank you!

When I first stumbled upon my first chastetree specimen at Ambler Arboretum several years ago, familiar only with the medicinal benefits and less of the landscape uses, I remember being flabbergasted by its stature, sturdiness, and beauty.  I eagerly introduced it into one of my first hypothetical medicinal garden plan designs and would visit my beloved specimen on campus regularly. As my horticultural knowledge grew alongside my passion for native species, my appreciation for Vitex agnus-castus began to wane, as I chalked it up to being a non-native, non-beneficial plant known for becoming weedy if left uncared for. Lo and behold, little did I know that only a short time later, my admiration for the humble chastetree would be reignited upon working at Pleasant Run.

Each year now, I await the flush of blue-green, palmate foliage, which gives way to upright panicles of blue, lavender, and purple flowers in midsummer, followed by the burgundy-to-green fruits that stand erect in early autumn, responsible for the plant’s namesake.  Despite being endemic to warmer, Mediterranean parts of Europe and southwestern Asia, you wouldn’t know that it wasn’t a favorite of our own native pollinators by the hordes of buzzing bodies that keep themselves busy at the nectaries of each bloom.

It’s actually not uncommon for beekeepers to plant chastetree near hives in order to promote better honey production - both honeybees and native bumblebee species are found to visit Vitex species, amongst other pollinating insects. Due to the shrub’s ability to handle adverse conditions, it’s a suitable option for planting in urban environments to encourage the health and growth of pollinator populations in green-poor areas.

It’s been found that solitary bee species in particular benefit from the lengthy bloom time of exotic Vitex agnus-castus, critical at a point during the growing season when native plants are experiencing a bit of a lull between flowering times.  Being as we are at the lowest point of the chastetree’s hardiness zone, which falls into the 7-8 range, this shrub thrives with some winter protection, as well as shelter from damaging winds. It makes a lovely foundation planting, especially if shorter, more compact varieties are used, such as Blue Diddley® with a mature height and width of 4-5’, or Summertime Blues™ which reaches a similar size.

If a larger, more robust specimen is what you’re after, ‘Shoal Creek’ chastetree is closer to the natural form of the species, reaching 8’ in all directions.  Regardless of their appearance once established for many years, each makes an exceptional flowering hedge, or addition to the sensory or children’s garden, where its fragrant foliage and pollinator-friendly blooms can be touched and admired.

 

 

 

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