Purple Vitex

Purple Vitex

Vitex agnus-castus

Plant portrait: A small tree or large shrub lifting violet flower spires above aromatic, hand-shaped leaves.

Garden rhythm: Deciduous; blooms in summer, often reblooming after pruning. Full sun, good drainage, low-to-moderate water.

Garden companions: Highly attractive to bees and butterflies.

Worth noticing: Vitex can self-seed and has invasive potential in parts of Texas; remove unwanted seedlings and do not present it as an unqualified ecological substitute for native plants.