Vitex Species, Chinese Chaste Tree, Five-Leaved Chaste Tree, Horseshoe Vitex, Huang Ping

Vitex Negundo is reliably hardy in the Virginia Piedmont. Its leaves emerge late in the spring, and I always wonder if it's still alive. ...Read MoreThat's all forgotten by autumn, when it's still stubbornly blooming and holding onto its leaves even after most of the trees are bare. It has a certain charm with its unusual purplish-green foliage, even if its loose growth habit isn't ideal for landscaping. For that purpose, Vitex Agnus-Castus (a.k.a. Shoal Creek) is probably better, with prettier blooms and more defined trunks that can be revealed with adequate pruning. Negundo is, never the less, a better pollinator plant because the size and shape of Agnus-Castus flowers make them of limited value to smaller pollinators like honey bees. Neither actually seems to be a top choice for pollinators. They're more of a backup source of nectar in the driest parts of summer and fall when little else is in bloom.

This is an excellent small tree for a hot climate with hard water. It can be pruned into an attractive shape but does require annual hard...Read More pruning to keep its shape. Neglect the pruning and it will have weak dead branchlets the next year. It blooms all summer and bees seem to be the only insects that love it. It does require more water than Vitex agnus-castus and is not as spectacular in bloom, but it;s bloom period is long and it makes a shapely tree where V.a-g does not.