Re: Vitex agnus-custus
I have both the common blue one and the 'alba' form. Both
are staying fairly small round, many-branched shrubs,
blooming in late summer. The white one is under the open
sprawling arms of a weeping silver pear tree and carpeted
with Cerastium tomentosum whose silvery foliage covered with
white flowers blooms at the same time. I enjoy the Chaste's
silhouette in winter as well although it gets overshadowed
in summer by the exuberant growth of a bank of Geranium
'Anne Folkard' behind with black-centered hot fuschia
flowers and the stately spires of the plume poppy, Macleaya
cordata. By the way, I think the Macleaya has some of the
most beautiful leaves in the plant kingdom.
Diane Pertson
Vancouver Island
>
>
> Jan wrote:
> >It's now about 10 feet tall and spectacular in bloom
> in late spring.
>
> Mine blooms a little later, in the Summer, and actually
add a very welcome
> touch of color. Mind you, they can become very big if
given enough water (in
> Greece I always saw them growing by creeks or springs).
> At Landriana gardens some specimens are more than 6m
(18ft)high, and just
> about as wide. I must say that even though a trained
specimen can be
> charming, a shrub fully developed, and well branched from
the base, is an
> astonishing sight when covered with miridas of blkue
spikes. I definitely
> love this plant, and actually I've just ordered five for
the Academy
> gardens.
>
> Alessandra
>
