{"product_id":"chaste-tree-vitex-agnus-castus","title":"Chaste tree| Vitex agnus-castus","description":"\u003cp\u003e🌿 Ships well rooted in a 3.5 x 9 inch deep tree pot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFew summer-blooming trees can match chaste tree for sheer pollinator impact. From July through September — the gap when most flowering trees have finished and fall hasn't started yet — vitex throws up long, fragrant spikes of lavender-blue flowers that bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds work relentlessly. The flowers have that soft, airy quality that photographs beautifully and stops people in their tracks. The palmate, gray-green leaves are aromatic when crushed, the whole tree has a fine-textured, almost Mediterranean elegance, and it's virtually indestructible once established — drought-tolerant, heat-tolerant, deer-resistant, and fast-growing. Prune it hard in late winter to keep it compact and maximize bloom; left unpruned it becomes a multi-stemmed large shrub or small tree reaching 10–15 feet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e🌿 Latin Name: Vitex agnus-castus\u003cbr\u003e🌞 Light: Full sun; minimum 6 hours direct sun for best bloom\u003cbr\u003e🌱 Soil: Well-drained, lean to average; tolerates poor, dry, and rocky ground; no wet feet\u003cbr\u003e💧 Water: Drought-tolerant once established; low water needs\u003cbr\u003e📏 Mature Size: 10–15 ft tall and wide; can be kept smaller with hard annual pruning\u003cbr\u003e🌸 Bloom Time: July through September; one of the longest-blooming summer trees\u003cbr\u003e🗺️ Hardiness Zone: 6–9 (root hardy to Zone 5)\u003cbr\u003e🦋 Wildlife Value: Exceptional pollinator tree — bees, butterflies, hummingbirds; deer resistant; birds eat the berries\u003cbr\u003e🌿 Herbal Tradition: Berries historically used in European herbalism for centuries under the name \"monk's pepper\"; for personal wellness use consult a qualified herbalist\u003cbr\u003e✂️ Pruning: Cut back hard in late winter — flowers on new wood; hard pruning maximizes bloom and controls size\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"New Earth Nursery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42970098204743,"sku":null,"price":18.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0577\/5058\/5415\/files\/1_560ec5a0-154b-4fdc-88ff-35e18db5b7cc.png?v=1784134177","url":"https:\/\/newearthnursery.com\/products\/chaste-tree-vitex-agnus-castus","provider":"New Earth Nursery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}