Re: Vitex agnus-custus, was Oleanders

Hi Jan--
--Pliney's use of Vitex a-c, is much more interesting than anything in the Greek folk tradition, where a compress of the leaves is used to cure swelling from bites--anything from bee-stings to snakes.  Its most common use however is in basket-weaving--the common Greek name, lygaria, means "pliable."
--I've found they make great cutting-flowers (the woody stems need to be smashed a bit), and also dry well, not losing theur perfume.
--In Greece, as in Italy, they don't flower before mid June.
Cali

Jan Smithen wrote:

 

Cali Doxiadis wrote:
--The last point I want to make is in praise of the oleander's companion plant in the dry riverbeds of Greek mountains: the Chaste Tree, Vitex agnus-castus.  It's a shrub whose dainty gray foliage and mauve spires complement the oleanders in  rather Jekyll-like natural compositions.  It is has a sage-like fragrance and requires no care at all, no summer water thrives on salt air, and can be trained into a decent-sized tree.

Welcome back Cali,
    Nice to hear your voice again.  I second your praise of the Chaste Tree. I have a five year old one planted in my small front garden. I'm trying to train it up into a small tree by cutting out the lower and the lateral branches. It's now about 10 feet tall and spectacular in bloom in late spring. Many people mistake it for a buddlea, but it is much more graceful in habit. I find I can get a second bloom out of it in early autumn by dead-heading all the faded blooms and seed heads (no easy task, I assure you!) Mine is lavender-blue, but there is a white blooming one in the trade here in So. Calif.

    I've read about its supposed anti-aphrodisiac qualities. First named by Pliney and dedicated to Ceres, the goddess of agriculture.  This author said "tired Greek wives used to stuff their husbands' mattresses with it to kill the lust"!  Sounds like a great story, can you add anything?

Thanks,  Jan
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Jan Smithen,
Upland, California

jansmithen@earthlink.net
Sunset zone : 19
USDA zone   : 10

http://home.earthlink.net/~jansmithen/

Visit the Los Angeles County Arboretum
Victorian Rose Garden website at:
http://victorian-rose.org/
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