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Botanical name: Vitex agnus-castus ‘Montrose Purple’
An uncommon garden shrub with airy spikes of lovely purple flowers throughout summer, distinctive dark green palmate leaves with gray-green undersides; can be treated like a perennial and cut back each spring; flowers on new wood and regrows vigorously.
Other names: Monk’s Pepper Tree
| Hardiness zone | 5b |
|---|---|
| Flower color | purple |
| Foliage type | deciduous * |
| Plant form | upright spreading |
| Mature height | 18 feet |
| Spread | 20 feet |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | dry to moist |
| Plant origin | import |
* deciduous = loses leaves in winter
Montrose Purple Chaste Tree has panicles of lightly-scented purple flowers rising above the foliage from late spring to early fall. It has grayish green foliage with silver undersides throughout the season. The fragrant palmate leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Montrose Purple Chaste Tree is an open multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.
This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Montrose Purple Chaste Tree is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Mass Planting, Hedges/Screening, General Garden Use
Montrose Purple Chaste Tree will grow to be about 18 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more.
This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist locations, and should do just fine under average home landscape conditions. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.
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