The Chaste Tree

Chris and I popped into Dennett's, our local garden centre today and I was surprised to see a plant of Vitex agnus-castus for sale. I have never seen this Mediterranean shrub in Britain, perhaps because it is borderline hardy, but I am always a sucker for the unusual so I snapped it up. In any case it is a worthy plant having been awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

The Chaste Tree makes a handsome plant.

(Photo courtesy of Google)

It is known as the Chaste Tree, as it was once believed to be an anaphrodisiac, a tincture of it being taken by monks in the middle ages to quell their libido. (Its effectiveness is questionable and nuns at the Convent of St Matilda in Genoa complained that monks from a nearby monastery were constantly knocking on the door asking for what they called 'relief for the needy'. Fortunately, according to the Mother Superior, 'the laying on of hands' would often suffice.) [Sorry, I got carried away into the realms of fantasy there.]

The plant does make a substantial tree but I will keep it confined within a pot and there it should be manageable for a number of years.

I'm hoping our plant doesn't take on these dimensions.

(Photo courtesy of Google)

It has been placed in the Verbena Family, Verbenaceae, but is now generally regarded as being a member of the Lamiaceae. This family includes the  mints, lavender, sage and thyme so our Chaste Tree will hopefully attract a number of bees and other insects.

I am placing it in a sheltered spot and keeping my fingers crossed.


Tony White  E-mail: diaea@yahoo.co.uk