August 2, 2019

Plant of the Week: Blue Diddley® Vitex


Plant of the Week is written by Jane Beggs-Joles

Vitex agnus-castus is a plant with a history.

The common name is chaste tree, which should clue you in to some of the folklore around it. Yes, its berries were believed to help monks keep their thoughts pure.

Conversely, it has a long tradition in folk medicine for helping women with reproductive system issues.

More recently it is valued simply as an ornamental, particularly in southern areas where lilacs don't do well - it has a similar flower color. Vitex also has pretty good deer resistance and salt tolerance.

Blue Diddley® Vitex

Blue Diddley® is a compact version of chaste tree. While traditional varieties can get large, even grow to be a small tree, Blue Diddley® maxes out at about 6'.

In colder climates, Vitex agnus-castus is like Buddleia and behaves more like a perennial. It's considered hardy to USDA Zone 5 as a dieback shrub, and will be a shrub in Zone 7 and warmer. Zone 6? Well, I guess it will depend on the winter. Check with your local extension service to see if it's suitable for your area.

Either way, it's an interesting addition to a sunny bed or border. Just make sure the soil is well-drained.

True blue

What is it with blue flowers? People seem obsessed with them. I suppose it's the human tendency to want what we can't have, and blue is rare in the botanical world. It's rare in all of nature, actually.

Let's Dance® Blue Jangles®
Hydrangea macrophylla

Yet we want blue hydrangeas (even in unrealistic climates), blue roses, etc. And given a genus with a fighting chance of producing a blue flower, like Syringa, people ask for yellow. (Why? Has that ever ended well? The answer is no.)

Here's a quick video to share with all of your friends who ask about blue flowers. People ask, we listen. Except for the yellow lilac thing.

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