Vitex trifolia

Common Name: simpleleaf chastetree

Family: Lamiaceae

Common Synonyms: none

USDA Hardiness Zone: 9a-11

Growth Habit: Shrub or tree

Origin: Asia

FISC Category: 2

FDACS Listed Noxious Weed: No

Introduction Date: Earliest Florida herbarium specimen from 1940

IFAS Assessment:

• North: CAUTION
• Central: CAUTION
• South: CAUTION

Description

Shrub or small tree less than 5 m in height. Stems covered by soft hairs (tomentose). Leaves opposite, compound (may have only 1 leaflet), usually with 3 leaflets, linear, 1 -12 cm in length. Upper leaf surface green, lower surface grayish green. Flowers in panicles up to 18 cm in length. Flowers purple to violet, corolla two-lipped, approximately 5 mm long. Fruit fleshy, 6 mm in diameter, containing 4 small black seeds.

Habitat

Disturbed areas

Comments

NA

Control Methods

• Manual: Manually remove seedlings
• Chemical: Basalbark with 30% triclopyr ester
• Biological: NA

Control Notes

No specific recommendations available.

References

Dave's Garden. 2014. PlantFiles: Arabian lilac, Vitex trifolia. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/72467/. Accessed on June 23, 2014.

Gilman, E. 1999. Vitex trifolia 'Variegata' IFAS Fact Sheet FPS-611. http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/shrub_fact_sheets/vittrib.pdf. Accessed on June 23, 2014.

Whistler, W. A. 1992. Flowers of the Pacific Island Seashore. National Tropical Botanical Garden. Vitex trifolia- Meet the Plants. http://ntbg.org/plants/plant_details.php?plantid=11434. Accessed on June 25, 2014.