Arkansas Tree Database

Scientific name:

Vitex Agnus-Castus

Size:

12'-15' tall by 12'-18' wide

Leaves:

opposite, palmately compound, with 5-7 lance-shaped grayish green leaflets

Flowers:

showy and dramatic white, purple, or pink terminal panicles; summer

Fruit:

small berry-like fruit (called a drupe), held through the winter, not showy

Fall Interest:

yellow-brown; deciduous

Culture:

sun; medium moisture, well-drained soil; heat and drought tolerant once established

Disease/Insect:

leaf spot (defoliates plant early)

Use:

specimen, mixed shrub border, small flowering tree

Cultivars:

'Shoal Creek' and others

Notes:

large shrub or small tree; attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds; native to southern Europe and western Asia