Great video, I enjoyed the explanation as well as the pollinator footage. (And your puppy in the shot😊) the fragrance of the seed pod is also remarkable.
I planted 4 vitex negundo by my house a couple years ago. They're only about knee high, but one just put forth a single flowering stalk! I can't wait until they're big enough to prune. How old is yours?
Beautiful tree. I have the vitex trifolia “Arabian lilac” I trim mine the same way, I also propagate the branches that I cut off and share with friends.
Thank you for this! I'm in Texas and my vitex is now about 10-11ft tall. Should I prune those dead flower spikes each year? There's just sooooo many and we'd have to get a ladder to reach many of them....and what a tedious task! Thoughts? Thx!
No, I would leave them. The only stuff I trim at the upper part of the tree is dead, damaged, and crossing branches. 90% of my pruning is midway and down. The dead stuff will eventually fall off with time and mother nature's help. Hope to have a new video soon!
Have you ever heard of these trees starting on their own from the pods? I have a couple of little bushes popping up in my yard and they look like a vitex.
As many pods as I have had drop on the ground, none have sprouted. Not sure why. I guess it is a good thing though because I know some plants are invasive and take over. My experience with my Vitex is that it does not.
@@duncansgardengarage3473 a bird gifted me a vitex tree under my beautiful crepe myrtle. i thought the plant was going to be mj, or a spider flower. then it fell on its side and is growing sideways on the ground. i had just bought one and had it in a pot trying to decide where to plant it. when i pruned it i stuck the cuttings in pots and they grew. now i have to find a place to plant four of them. yikes. btw, are they bad for the plumbing like some trees?
I’m in central OK, Edmond! You made this very easy to follow! Thank you. My vitex above the ground was killed by that ice storm in February, 2021 but I had new growth last summer from the base. Any recommendations for handling that? I left many of the dead branches so birds have a place to hang out (I’ve got birdfeeders nearby) but think I might need to whack it back to the ground this spring. I’d love your feedback. Thank you again.
Thanks for the comment! I'd say you have the right idea. Don't be in a hurry to cut it back. If you are seeing signs of growth, let it grow. It will probably take a year or 2 to recover. And even longer to get back to full growth. Before you start cutting, scalp the bark on any branch to check for green underneath. This is how I determine if the branch is alive or dead. I would start by cutting back the smaller branches. Then move to the larger. Take out the old branches that might hinder the new growth. Give it time and be patient. If its too much of an eye soar, you could just cut it all the way back. Vitex is a fast grower. My other neighbor lost half of his tree. He just cut back the dead part. The shape is a little off but with time, it will fill in. I always get a ton of new growth from the base of mine. I will be making a new video for this year soon!
They grow well in Oklahoma with humid temps up to 105F and below freezing conditions in the winter. We have heavy clay soil. I have not had to water mine when things dry out. They handle high winds also since they don't grow too tall. They are pretty tough! It might depend on your soil type.
Hello, how old is your tree?? I got one about two years ago ;that was about three feet tall. Two years later this bush is eight feet tall. Just wondering at what age do they stop growing. By chance I planted where it has room to grow. Just want to know what to expect, the nursery lady that sold it to me told me it wouldn’t get much bigger than 4 to 6 feet tall. It was only labeled as chaste.
Mine is about 10 years old. A friend of mine has a really old chaste that is about 30-40 ft spread and 15 ft tall. I am not sure if it is one tree or the culmination of trees in one spot. They seem to grow more out than up. 10 to 15 ft in height is what I typically see. It is easy to cut back so you can control its size.
Great video, I enjoyed the explanation as well as the pollinator footage. (And your puppy in the shot😊) the fragrance of the seed pod is also remarkable.
Thanks! He isn't camera shy. Yes, such a great tree for the homestead.
I planted 4 vitex negundo by my house a couple years ago. They're only about knee high, but one just put forth a single flowering stalk! I can't wait until they're big enough to prune. How old is yours?
Lovely vid but you could've mentioned apart from the beautiful blooms is the soft fabulous fragrance of those flowers too
Thank you! Just bought 3 15 gallon Vitex for $30 each buds all over just nervous about the upkeep.
Plant them where they have space to grow and they will do great! Very hardy plant!
Beautiful tree. I have the vitex trifolia “Arabian lilac” I trim mine the same way, I also propagate the branches that I cut off and share with friends.
Yes it is! I will definitely try the propagation in the future. I would like to have more and even share. Thanks for the tip!
Our is getting 10 to 12 feet tall each year. Suggestions?
Very good video. Thank you.
Thank you for this! I'm in Texas and my vitex is now about 10-11ft tall. Should I prune those dead flower spikes each year? There's just sooooo many and we'd have to get a ladder to reach many of them....and what a tedious task! Thoughts? Thx!
No, I would leave them. The only stuff I trim at the upper part of the tree is dead, damaged, and crossing branches. 90% of my pruning is midway and down. The dead stuff will eventually fall off with time and mother nature's help. Hope to have a new video soon!
Have you ever heard of these trees starting on their own from the pods? I have a couple of little bushes popping up in my yard and they look like a vitex.
As many pods as I have had drop on the ground, none have sprouted. Not sure why. I guess it is a good thing though because I know some plants are invasive and take over. My experience with my Vitex is that it does not.
@@duncansgardengarage3473 a bird gifted me a vitex tree under my beautiful crepe myrtle. i thought the plant was going to be mj, or a spider flower. then it fell on its side and is growing sideways on the ground. i had just bought one and had it in a pot trying to decide where to plant it. when i pruned it i stuck the cuttings in pots and they grew. now i have to find a place to plant four of them. yikes. btw, are they bad for the plumbing like some trees?
Cool update
Thanks for the comment!
I’m in central OK, Edmond! You made this very easy to follow! Thank you. My vitex above the ground was killed by that ice storm in February, 2021 but I had new growth last summer from the base. Any recommendations for handling that? I left many of the dead branches so birds have a place to hang out (I’ve got birdfeeders nearby) but think I might need to whack it back to the ground this spring. I’d love your feedback. Thank you again.
Thanks for the comment! I'd say you have the right idea. Don't be in a hurry to cut it back. If you are seeing signs of growth, let it grow. It will probably take a year or 2 to recover. And even longer to get back to full growth. Before you start cutting, scalp the bark on any branch to check for green underneath. This is how I determine if the branch is alive or dead. I would start by cutting back the smaller branches. Then move to the larger. Take out the old branches that might hinder the new growth. Give it time and be patient. If its too much of an eye soar, you could just cut it all the way back. Vitex is a fast grower. My other neighbor lost half of his tree. He just cut back the dead part. The shape is a little off but with time, it will fill in. I always get a ton of new growth from the base of mine. I will be making a new video for this year soon!
Good post. I like the vitex. Do they grow in South Florida? I'm interested. I would have trimmed all the bottom growth.
They grow well in Oklahoma with humid temps up to 105F and below freezing conditions in the winter. We have heavy clay soil. I have not had to water mine when things dry out. They handle high winds also since they don't grow too tall. They are pretty tough! It might depend on your soil type.
Good vi tex
Hello, how old is your tree?? I got one about two years ago ;that was about three feet tall. Two years later this bush is eight feet tall. Just wondering at what age do they stop growing. By chance I planted where it has room to grow. Just want to know what to expect, the nursery lady that sold it to me told me it wouldn’t get much bigger than 4 to 6 feet tall. It was only labeled as chaste.
Mine is about 10 years old. A friend of mine has a really old chaste that is about 30-40 ft spread and 15 ft tall. I am not sure if it is one tree or the culmination of trees in one spot. They seem to grow more out than up. 10 to 15 ft in height is what I typically see. It is easy to cut back so you can control its size.
Is this the wild Vitex or a cultivar ?
Cultivar
do you trim the old seed pods?
No, I just leave them. They will fall off eventually. You wont even notice them as new growth begins. Unless its a dead branch.