Vitex agnus-castus
lilac chastetree, common chaste-tree, indian-spice, hemp-tree, monk's pepper-tree, wild-pepper, abraham's balm, chaste lamb-tree, sage-tree.
Family
Verbenaceae
Leaf Arrangement
opposite
Leaf Attachment
petiolate
Leaf Margin
serrate
Leaf Type
compound, palmate
Leaf Shape
palmate lobed
Growth Form
shrub, tree
Flower Color
blue, purple
Flower Month
April - October
Height (meters)
1.5 - 5.0
Milky Sap
No
Armed/Unarmed
Unarmed
Origin
introduced
Lifespan
perennial
Wetland Class
UPL
Field Characters
Small tree with distinctive palmate leaves. Flowers fragrant.
Cultural Information
Easily grown from seeds.
Natural History
Cultivated small tree with fragrant flowers.
Habitat
Pastures, roadsides, fence rows, stream valley, waste places.
Plant Uses
The fruit have been utilized as a pepper substitute.