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cynthianovak

Vitex: Do you love it?

cynthianovak
10 years ago

Hi All
Thought I would do a maple in a west facing area of my house where a catalpa was. The roots don't make for a very big hole. Not I'm thinking about 3 vitex and hope they would form a fast grown, drought tolerant tall trio.

What do you think? c

Comments (17)

  • PKponder TX Z7B
    10 years ago

    I love my vitex but they really want to be a bush :-) I have to trim and shape my single tree to get it growing upward. All that being said, my original 3 gallon plant (24 inches when I got it) is taller than the roof of my one story home.It's been in ground for 5 years. It is a fast grower, but you'll need a bit of space for 3.

  • carrie751
    10 years ago

    I have two I have shaped into trees, and the others are just LARGE shrubs. I agree with Pam that three would take a lot of space. Somewhere in the gallery are pics of mine if you care to research.

  • cynthianovak
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you both. I will go with 1 3-gallon plant rather than 3. You saved me again! I'm heading to the gallery to see them Carrie.....c

  • surfbreeze
    10 years ago

    They are great but love to grow suckers at the base. It is difficult as shared above to keep them as a tree. They are very easy to grow from seed if you need more later and grow very quickly.

  • TxMarti
    10 years ago

    Love/hate. They're not as drought tolerant as I hoped. I see them growing on the sides of highways so thought they would never need water, but they (at least mine) need to be watered every couple of weeks.

  • jardineratx
    10 years ago

    I love my vitex, but I agree that keeping it trimmed to tree form can be a little challenging, especially in the first few years. I continue to remove suckers as they come up from the base of the trunk and I also find that if I remove the dried seedheads in late winter, the bloom is heavier. When it is in bloom I often have people walking or driving by ask me what the tree is.
    Molly

  • plantmaven
    10 years ago

    Molly, I love your house!
    BTW I have a new granddaughter-in-law named Mollie.

    Kathy

  • carrie751
    10 years ago

    I love the shape of your Vitex............looks as if you were more diligent in shaping than I !! Very pretty, Molly.

  • cynthianovak
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Molly thank you for the picture and a direction. I hope mine gets as big as Carries and that I can follow a plan to shape it. Love your beds!

  • mistiaggie
    10 years ago

    Vitex is beautiful but it is one plant I wish would stop being sold (along with Nandina) due to its invasive nature.

  • carrie751
    10 years ago

    i don't find them to be invasive. Sure, they do reseed some, but are easy to pull. I have other plants that are more invasive. Also, I have had three nandina shrubs that I put in soon after I moved here 21 years ago, and have not had a single one sprout.

  • bostedo: 8a tx-bp-dfw
    10 years ago

    Vitex is still "highly recommended" as a Texas Superstar plant by the TAMU AgriLife folks. Though, they've since added a note about it's reported regional invasiveness that's worth considering.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Texas Superstar: Vitex, Texas Lilac, or Chaste Tree

  • carrie751
    10 years ago

    Guess I am not in that region, bostedo ............thanks for the input.

  • jardineratx
    10 years ago

    My vitex is a hybrid, Shoal Creek, which produces larger, more deeply colored blooms, so it is worth it for me to pull up the volunteers that come up. I rooted a cutting and have my second tree, but I have never grown any of the seedlings as they won't produce true from seed. The native vitex is an attractive tree/shrub, but in this case, I prefer the hybrid.
    Molly

  • cynthianovak
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Molly
    Thank you for this information. This is the type I bought on Sunday. Not in the ground yet, but I am excited. I will remember to root cuttings not use volunteers. It sat on the passenger's side floor and I had to open windows because the fragrance was so strong. I've learned a lot here.
    smiles c

  • beachplant
    10 years ago

    Mine is a tree. They survived Ike. It is a favorite of hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. We never water it. Suckers are not a problem but it does self-seed.
    Tally Ho!

  • carrie751
    10 years ago

    That is all mine does, Tally, and they are easy to pull if I can't find homes for them. I love this "tree" !!!