Vitex lucens was RE: Belated Oleanders and Vitex
- To: , "Mediterannean Plants List"
- Subject: Vitex lucens was RE: Belated Oleanders and Vitex
- From: K* H*
- Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 06:51:01 -0800
- Importance: Normal
This sounds delightful. So what is the hardiness of this plant?
Just how cold does it get in Wellington. I'd really like to
give this tree a try in my back yard there is one spot that might
provide enough water for it. Is the timber any good?
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
[o*@ucdavis.edu]On Behalf Of Tony & Moira Ryan
Sent: Sunday, December 17, 2000 8:14 PM
To: Mediterannean Plants List
Subject: Re: Belated Oleanders and Vitex
Cali Doxiadis wrote:
>
> Dear group--
> I've been catching up after a three week absence and can't resist
> contributing to the now exhausted oleanders thread:....
> --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.
Although it is grown heere grown here I have never myself actually seen
this tree, but I have heard local people disparage it because of its
propensity for heavy seeding. Do any of you find this a problem?
NZ actually has its own native Vitex (like so much of our flora an
endemic). This (Vitex lucens - Puriri) is certainly not a bushy species
but a very large forest tree and nobody could confuse it with a buddlea.
The handsome dark green leaves well set off the pinkish-red flowers
which are individually quite large and produced almost all year round.
They are followed by bright red round fruits very popular with our
precious native pigeons.
It is only marginally hardy in the Wellington region, which keeps it
fairly small locally, but further north with no such inhibition it grows
too large for anything but very big gardens or public parks.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata (near Wellington, capital city of New Zealand)
