varigated chastetree
Vitex trifolia · Verbenaceae
varigated chastetree (Vitex trifolia) is a perennial shrub in the Verbenaceae family. It is introduced to North America rather than native. USDA records it as hardy in zone 10 and warmer, down to about 32°F.
At a glance
| Type | shrub Derived |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | introduced USDA |
| Mature height | 10 ft USDA |
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 6–8.5 USDA |
| Bloom | June–August USDA |
| Flower color | Blue USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 10 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | shrub Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It needs full sun. Its drought tolerance is rated medium. It is recorded on soils from pH 6 to 8.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 10.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 10 ft, making it a plant that will finish above head height. It grows quickly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of June through August. Flowers are blue.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, fine in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its fruit or seed heads are conspicuous, extending interest past flowering. Its winter foliage is dense, which makes it useful for year-round screening. USDA rates its lifespan as short, so plan on replacing or resowing it rather than treating it as permanent structure.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 30 to 60 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 365 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 24 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Propagate it from cuttings, bare root and container stock. Its seed spreads at a slow rate. It spreads vegetatively at a moderate rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Its fire tolerance is rated low. Its growth form is recorded as stoloniferous.
Role in a guild
Shrub layer. In a layered planting this is woody mid-level structure between the understory and the ground. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Vitex
- higuerillo Vitex divaricata
Similar role and hardiness
- pigeonpea Cajanus cajan
- beach naupaka Scaevola sericea
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol VITRV, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: Bloom, Bloom end, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, vegetative spread rate.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer, Type.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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