Vitex presents vibrant lilac - colored blossom every summer against a backdrop of gray - green foliation , making it a desirable substitute for the mild - clime have a go at it lilac ( Syringa vulgaris ) .
Vitex presents vibrant lilac - discolour flower every summer against a background of gray - green leaf , making it a worthy backup for the mild - climate loving lilac ( Syringa vulgaris ) . This fast - growing , low - alimony large shrub or modest flowering tree diagram prefers hot , desiccated mood , and when happy it bring about a profusion of purple flowers . Prune in the late winter before new emergence set out and deadhead through the summertime , and your efforts will advance novel wood and more flower while rewarding you with a colorful , well - managed tree .
Vitex or Lilacs
Lilacs choose U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone 3 to 7 , but they do n’t survive the lengthy southerly summertime heat and brief winters . Vitex has become a favorite replacement for lilac in xeric landscapes in USDA zones 6 to 9 .
Controlling the Double-Take Tree
Vitex is considered a double - take tree , often make additional looks from people who wonder how a lilac bush can maturate in USDA zones 8 or 9 . For this reason , another coarse name is the lilac chaste tree .
A second ground for the double - take is the resemblance to marijuana ( Cannibis sativa ) , which thrives in USDA zones 7 to 11 . The lanceolate leaflet shape on both are palmately colonial and radiate out from a center item on the folio . The five to seven pamphlet are serrate on both the marijuana and vitex leaves . They further resemble each other in similar nicety of green , but the show is the only resemblance .
Vitex is a fast - uprise , multi - trunked modest tree in USDA zone 8 and 9 and more shrub - like in USDA zone 6 and 7 where dusty weather condition often freezes it to the ground . Pruning gain this tree if you want repeat bloom and if you need a more open tree diagram shape .
Prune in Late Winter
If go in USDA zones 6 and 7 , hard freezes and occasional Charles Percy Snow will vote down the above - ground ramification . These will need to be removed in late wintertime , or before new growth begin in the other spring . If be in USDA hardiness zone 8 and 9 , thin out scurvy branches , crossing branch and suckers in tardy winter , and prune dead , non - productive outgrowth in mid - fountain . leafage will acquire on old development but vitex flowers occur only on new outgrowth and this time of year ’s Ellen Price Wood .
Deadhead Through the Summer
A flush of strikingly attractive purple efflorescence cover this low - criminal maintenance woody plant in early summer ’s first rosiness . As with annuals and perennials , if remain flowering is desired the spent flower need to be deadheaded . Remove the clusters of seeds both to boost flowering and to prevent the seeds from germinating and creating a weedy appearance . If the destination is to keep your vitex small and manageable , deadhead regularly through the summertime to keep it compact .
Low Maintenance or Well Shaped is Your Choice
Vitex can be a low-spirited - sustenance small Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that sprawls and get hold of heights of 10 to 20 feet in the warmer sections of its preferred growing ambit . If localise in a locating where this shape complement the landscape painting , most sustenance will postulate removing the seeds . Deadheading and recent - wintertime pruning trust to manage the little tree as a compact specimen . Use a pair of beltway pruners or longer electrical shunt pruner on a small bush ; pruning a minor vitex Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree need a 12 - to-14 human foot telescoping bypass lopper . Do n’t neglect sanitise your pruning tools between cuts in 70 percent isopropyl alcohol for two minutes when moving from one branch to another .
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