Chaste Tree Care
Vitex agnus-castus
A shrub native to the Mediterranean, extremely tolerant of heat and drought. It is valued for its lavender-blue flower clusters that open in late summer, when very little else flowers in the garden. It loves full sun and well-drained soils.
Monthly care calendar
Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.
- Watering: Not required; the plant is dormant and winter rains are sufficient.
- Pruning: To keep the plant compact and encourage abundant flowering, hard pruning (to 30-50 cm from ground level) can be carried out. It is one of the best times to do so.
- Pruning: It is the ideal time for hard pruning. Since it flowers on new shoots, this pruning increases flowering.
- General care: The plant is preparing to wake up.
- Watering: Usually not needed. Only if newly planted saplings experience a dry spring, they may be watered 1-2 times a month.
- Fertilizing: Not needed. Too much fertilizer reduces flowering.
- Pruning: Prune just before the shoots break. Because flowers form on this year's new shoots, hard pruning increases flowering.
- General care: New shoots appear gradually (it may wake up later than other plants).
- Plant protection: Check the newly emerging fresh leaves for aphids.
- General care: It leafs out and grows quickly.
- Watering: Although drought tolerant, deep watering once a month gives better flowering.
- General care: Growth continues, and flower buds begin to form.
- Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
- General care: Flowering begins. It is very attractive to bees and butterflies.
- Pests & diseases: To prevent root rot, avoid watering; water only in very dry periods.
- Watering: In midsummer, deep watering every 15-20 days is enough. Established plants (over 2 years old) do not need watering in most years. Water the area around the roots to a depth of 15-20 cm.
- General care: This is the main flowering period.
- Watering: In midsummer, deep watering every 15-20 days is enough. Established plants (over 2 years old) do not need watering in most years. Water the area around the roots to a depth of 15-20 cm.
- Pruning: Cutting faded flower clusters can encourage new flowering, but it is generally not necessary.
- General care: Its flowering is at its most intense.
- Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
- Pruning: Deadheading makes the plant look neater, but it is not essential.
- General care: The plant still flowers abundantly and is the star of the garden. It is an important nectar source for bees and butterflies. It is also a good month for planting young plants.
- Watering: Stop watering as the weather cools and rainfall begins.
- General care: Flowering ends and the seeds ripen. The leaves turn yellow and begin to drop. The suitable period for new plantings continues.
- Pruning: After the leaves have completely fallen, pruning can be planned.
- General care: Collect fallen leaves; many disease agents and pests overwinter under leaves.
- Pruning: This is the most suitable period for pruning.
- General care: The plant is fully dormant.
The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.
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