Vitex

I have a Vitex that I am planning on planting soon. It is a 3-gallon container size that I got for .50 cents at Lowes at their year-end clearance. My question is, how well does a vitex take to pruning? Also can I keep its size in check easily?

I think I lucked out in that the vitex doesn't have a multi-trunk. This should be good for keeping it smaller, is that correct? Anyways, if anybody has an insight, please let me know. I want to go ahead and get this planted.

Thanks,
Jared

Vitex around here all get the multi trunk look if you dont keep the suckers trimmed. They also tend to stay on the 15ft size to top out, so I am not sure what size you are wanting be at least here they tend to stay on the small size.

I have one in my front yard that I kept mowing down with the lawn mower because I thought it was a weed. I decided to let it grow and it turned out to be a chaste tree(vitex). It is almost impossible to keep them single trunked. As far as pruning tolerance is concerned, mine was mowed downed constantly for about two years and it survived and is about 6ft tall now. They are really tough plants and dont seem to be invasive.

Good deal. Well the difference I have seen is that this plant only had 1-main leader in the container. It wasn't like most of the other Vitex where they plant a few different trees in a container for a multi-trunk. So maybe I lucked out. I will just have to let it grow and see how it does. I'm pretty sure if it gets to large, I won't have any problem taking the pruners to it and keeping it in check.

Here in Zone 5 we grow Vitex as perennials, cutting them back to the ground each winter like Russian sage or butterfly bush. Sometimes V. negundo tops will survive a mild winter here, but seldom will V. agnus-castus. Since they bloom on new wood it's no problem.

Guy S.

I have 2 and they are both small trees. They've never suckered. They do grow horizontal growth, so I prune them every winter and keep them lean and tall. I love them more than the buddlea "butterfly" bush as they're so much prettier. I guess I was lucky getting mine as trees. I bought them that way and they seem to like it.
Hilary

I have a chaste tree on the south side of my house. This is a tough tree, and it's pretty. Mine is multi-trunked and about 15' tall. I prune off the dead flower stalks in late winter/early spring. It doesn't grow suckers from the roots, but it does get a lot of little twig growth on all of the limbs. If I didn't prune it, it would probably look like a huge shrubbery. I never really water it. It lives off rainwater, but if it's really dry I run the sprinkler system. It gets HOT here in the summer, and it doesn't seem bothered by the heat at all.

50 cents is a steal!! My Lowe's never has good sales like that.

escambiaguy, I laughed out loud when I read your mowing story!

Here is a picture from last March. This picture was taken a couple of weeks after pruning.

Thank you very much. Mine should form the same way as yours and good job on the pruning. I think they are pretty easy to keep in check if they are pruned correctly. I have looked at a lot of them around town and they look much better when they aren't all overgrown and they also don't get as big.

Yes, .50 was a steal for sure. I ended up with over $200 worth of plants for $12 bucks. I bought some just for their containers though. The Lowes here always has sales like that but some of the plants aren't the best quality but I just happened to luck out this time.

When I said weed I could have meant that literally, the leaves do look a little like marijuana.

I have a large chaste tree, vitex agnus-castus, that is about six years old. I have pruned only the shoots that grow from the limbs. Some of these grow to eight feet and are only about a half inch in diameter and grow straight up. This tree is one of my favorite ornamental trees. These trees produce thousands,if not tens of thousands, seeds. Trees are easily grown from seeds. I planted seeds in pots last spring and by mid summer they were about two feet tall. I transplanted one to the yard and it bloomed! My chaste tree attracts bumblebees by the hundreds,no humming birds,butterflies or any other critters, just bumblebees.

My chaste tree attracts bees too - I learned that the hard way. No butterflies or anything. Lots of seeds, but I don't have a problem with seedlings popping up around the base of the tree. Maybe because my husband mows the yard about once a week during the summer.

And yes, the leaves do look like marijuana. All the more reason to prune it into a tree shape so the neighbors don't get the wrong idea. :)

A couple of the Vitex are rated to zone 6 (agnus-castus and negundo) while rotundifolia is minimal in zone 8. I recall trying seed of 'agnus-castus' a few years ago. Based on the comment "grow it as a perennial" , it is worth trying again........ If anyone is willing to send some seed of agnus-castus or negundo to me in Nfld., I would like to try this one again.

Bill in SE Newfoundland where temp hit +15 C today...... balmy weekend and the skim of ice on lakes is now slush.