Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Melissa Clark - Texas, 8b on July 28, 2011 at 11:42am

I actually posted this in the main part of this forum, but I will put it here, too. You have a Vitex, or some people call them Chase trees, or River Hemp. I posted more info. on the main page...

Permalink Reply by totalsense4u on July 28, 2011 at 7:30pm

thank you   Sorry about the posting.  Haven't been on here lately and as you can see, I had trouble finding the right way of posting.  Thanks again.

Permalink Reply by Melissa Clark - Texas, 8b on July 28, 2011 at 8:03pm

You're welcome! They are very pretty trees! I didn't know they grew in Georgia...

Permalink Reply by Lee Findley on January 31, 2012 at 6:28pm

It is "vitex agnus-castis" or "Chaste" tree from the Mediterranean and southern Europe. It is easily trimmed using the same pruning techniques that are used on any blooming woody shrub. It is a very tough small tree!

Contributing GardenerPermalink Reply by Willis L. Johnson from GA Z8A on February 1, 2012 at 7:22am

Melissa, actually I think you mean 'Chaste' tree - in ye olden days it was thought to keep fair maidens chaste.  'Shoals Creek' is what I think is the best cultivar and it appears to be the one in the attached picture. There are also white blooming varieties. You can let it grow into a tree or keep it pruned down so it flushes with new growth each spring and then blooms later (more profusely I find). I have 3. One of which I let grow high and tree like and have a New Dawn rose traipsing through it. The other 2 I cut back to about 4 feet high and let the new growth shoot from the stems. I like the cleaner look of them being cut back (seed heads are messy devils) and then grown out and gets better bloom on the new wood. With the one with the rose it's now more of a support to the climber and blooms so-so. I live on Lake Oconee midway between Atlanta and Augusta by the way.