Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Beautiful lilac purple blooms that are extremely fragrant, adorn the Vitex âShoal Creekâ tree shown below from May to September. This fast-growing, low-maintenance large shrub or small flowering tree prefers hot, arid climates, and when happy it produces a profusion of purple flowers. Dipping of wiping in alcohol is one easy way to do this. The best time to prune a chaste tree is in late winter. City lots were much bigger then, and it wasnât uncommon for the plants to ⦠For a pretty bluish-purple hedge, plant Blue Diddley shrubs about 5 to 7 feet apart from one center to another. If you prune the Vitex in the dead of winter, the Vitex may lose moisture from the pruning wounds and freeze to death if there is a hard freeze. If you must shorten rather than remove a branch, cut just above a twig or bud. It is a native of China and India, although long ago it became naturalized throughout certain areas of the United Stated. Hello! A dwarf pink Vitex! If left alone from seed, the Vitex will grow into a lovely shrub that makes a stunning hedge that can, with regular deadheading, produce those long, lovely flower spikes throughout the summer. You can prune your chaste tree to control size or for shaping purposes, and also to encourage repeat flowering using a type of pruning called deadheading. In winter, remove weak, twiggy growth from the center of the plant to keep it looking tidy. Positive: On Aug 29, 2006, trackinsand from mid central, FL (Zone 9a) wrote: this is my first year for this tree. Sometimes known by its genus name Vitex, the chaste tree reaches a height at maturity between 15 feet and 30 feet (4.6 meters and 9.1 meters), depending on the climate, with an equally wide spread.It is a deciduous shrub with striking, bluish-purple flowers that bloom throughout the summer. Chaste trees are an easy-care shrub or tree with an interesting past. These trees are very forgiving and quickly grow back to cover mistakes. Prune in winter. OK, Grumpy could write a whole book covering every aspect of pruning, but I don't have the space or time. The best time to prune a chaste tree is in late winter. Blue Diddley Chaste Tree is a great plant to place near a sidewalk or driveway. Deadheading is an important but often-neglected gardening technique. Sku #7618. The berries sprout, forming a blanket of new growth that will not breed true to the parents. Deadheading is not usually necessary for the health of the tree, but will give a tidier look if that is important to you. The blooms are irresistible to pollinators of all sorts including; bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Choosing The Right Time. Chaste tree - agnus vitex castus - I failed to deadhead after blooming last year. Use in a shrub border, or train for use as a small tree to accent the landscape or patio. The Bright Lilac Color of the Vitex Tree. When grown as a tree they grow to about 15 feet. There are several reasons to prune a chaste tree. Also remove messy, twiggy growth that tends to crowd the ends of the branches. Chaste Tree thrives in full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Carefully placed cuts can encourage the shrub to put on new growth. Another type of pruning, called deadheading, is important to keep chaste trees blooming all summer. Prune back to the highest point where you can still find green. Pruning chaste trees to remove the lower limbs that droop and hang close to the ground is optional, but if you remove these branches it will make lawn and garden maintenance much easier, and you’ll be able to grow ornamentals under the tree. If you remove the flower spikes throughout the first half of the season, the tree may continue blooming into early fall. So lets get to it. Chaste trees (Vitex agnus-castus) get their name from properties of the seed within the edible berries that are said to reduce libido. For those with tougher stems, you may need pruners to make your cut. Another type of pruning, called deadheading, is important to keep chaste trees blooming all summer. In fact, you can cut off the entire tree at ground level and it will regrow at an astonishing pace. However, some varieties can get as tall as 35 feet. small (6 to 7 m) tree or shrub native to river banks in southern Europe and the Mediterranean region Deadheading the spent blooms will encourage more blooms although it can be a tedious task due to the sheer number of blooms. Texas AgriLife Extension Service: Vitex, or Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus)by Dr. William C. Welch, Professor & Landscape Horticulturist A chaste tree growing in a pot will appreciate a moist but well-drained soil. It is always a good idea to sterilize your pruners before and after you begin to limit any disease organisms. You also donât need any special skills or tools. Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus), also called monk's pepper, received its peculiar nicknames because a spice made from its powdered seeds was supposed to dampen desire. It will sprout in spring and bloom in summer, although later than chaste trees not pruned so severely. Characteristics. Has a naturally broad and spreading, open, multi-trunk display. When to Prune Chaste Trees. Sign up for our newsletter. Once you know when and how to prune chaste trees, you can keep them looking neat and blooming all summer. Chaste Tree Vitex agnus-castus. Deadhead Choisya ternata right after flowering is over â usually in June. Clean out the entire center of the tree, removing all side branches from main 4 to 5 trunks. Yearly pruning during winter will help keep the shrub in an attractive shape and control its size. How to Deadhead a Plant . Extend the blooming season by trimming off (deadhead) the expired blooms for another blast of blooms. Simply cut back spent flower clusters to a healthy bud. Nurseries sometimes prune the plant into a small tree by removing some of the main stems and all of the lower branches; but when it regrows, it will be a multi-stemmed shrub. y Deadheading indicates removal of spent inflorescences only immediately after flowering, whereas, other pruning treatments included cutting limbs back to half their original length after flowering or pruning all stems to within 15 cm of the soil immediately after flowering. You can fertilize your Vitex in spring if you like. As an option, cut entire plant to ground in winter. In spring and summer, clip off the spent flowers before they have a chance to go to seed. Be sure to remove the entire flower. Prune your Vitex in late winter or very early spring when the weather is beginning to warm. Throughout the year, you should prune the tree by deadheading any spent flowers. It is always a good idea to sterilize your pruners before and after you begin to limit any disease organisms. If you don't, the branch or trunk above the scratch is dead, so you might as well cut that part off. Chaste trees freeze and die back to ground level during severe weather. You can also control the shape by chaste tree trimming. Once you know when and how to prune chaste trees, you can keep them looking neat and blooming all summer. Chaste tree can grow to 20 feet in southern climates, but in colder areas only 8 to 10 feet. Damaged or dead branches or stems should be removed when they occur. You can encourage continued production by deadheading spent flowersâa task that can be a little irksome with larger shrubs. Thanks ftor your question. Like most chaste trees, "Shoal Creek" grows naturally as a multistemmed, vase-shaped tree with a shrublike form. Then, as the flowers bloom, trim off the old spires, preventing the growth of berries. Why a Vitex Tree Won't Bloom. Thus the one task needed with these plantsâdeadhead regularly. Gardening experts recommend deadheading to be carried out from the onset of spring to the early summer season. It can tolerant drought. Deadheading is among the most straightforward gardening activities and it wonât take up too much of your time. 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Its spiky lilac-blue flowers appear from June through September; bloom can be prolonged by deadheading. The flowers ⦠The Expired blooms look like small bb pellets â See Photo Below. Deadhead spent spikes to encourage continuous flowering. Will it harm the tree if I do it now, mid April? White Mexican orange blossom Simply cut back spent flower clusters to a healthy bud. Linda. The Vitex aka Chaste Tree is a crowd favorite for North Texas, and it has one of the longest blooming seasons for flowering trees in Texas. When I was a kid in College Station, vitex shrubs filled corners of backyards. Trim off Expired Vitex Blooms for longer blooming season. New growth will take off in the direction of the bud. Constantly soggy or wet soil can and often will cause root rot or other harmful or deadly plant diseases. Photo: Vitex is also called chaste tree and Texas lilac (although itâs not fragrant and is unrelated to true lilacs). It refers to pruning off old, faded flowers from a plant as it blooms. Vitex is also called Chaste Tree. This isnât a cause for concern because they regrow quickly from the roots. This tree is also known as Mexican lavender, monk's pepper, lilac chaste tree, hemp tree, sage tree, or Indian spice. Prune in the late winter before new growth begins and deadhead through the summer, and your efforts will encourage new wood and more flowers while rewarding you with a colorful, well-managed tree. For soft plants, you can deadhead by hand (although it still helps to have long fingernails), pinching the stem between your thumb and forefinger. The chaste tree, which may also be grown as a shrub, is native to parts of Asia and Europe. This is also the time to prune to encourage branching. Deadheading is not usually necessary for the health of the tree, but will give a tidier look if that is important to you. This beautiful garden tree shows large terminal clusters of fragrant lilac-colored blooms, backed by aromatic gray-green foliage. Trim off all old blooms and seed heads by ⦠Warning: The Vitexâs juice or sap is an irritant that can cause painful blisters. It is certainly OK to deadhead your chaste tree now or pretty much any time you get the time to do it. This article has more information. Chaste tree tolerates heavy pruning quite well. Ask an Expert is made up of groups and individual experts. This tree adapts to most types of soil with good drainage. Vitex has no diseases, and if placed in a sunny spot that drains well, will tolerate almost any treatment. References: Texas Superstar Plants: Vitex, Texas Lilac, or Chaste Tree. Vitex agnus-castus is a small tree or large shrub native to Eurasia and the Mediterranean basin. 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