Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Arabian Lilac
Arabian Lilac is a large, fast-growing shrub with aromatic gray-green leaves that are purple underneath. In late spring and summer it carries spikes of fragrant lavender-purple flowers that bees and butterflies visit. It grows about 10 to 15 feet tall and wide and handles desert heat in full sun. Use it as a tall screen or background shrub, or prune it up into a small multi-trunk tree.
Best for: tall screens and background shrubs, small multi-trunk trees, summer flowers for bees and butterflies, and leaf color in full sun.
It grows fast to about 10 to 15 feet tall and wide, so it fills in as a tall, informal screen along a wall. Plant screen shrubs about 8 feet apart and let them grow together.
Remove the lower branches over time and it becomes a small multi-trunk tree for a small yard. Do this pruning in late winter, once the hard frosts are past.
Spikes of fragrant lavender-purple flowers open in late spring and summer, and bees and butterflies visit them. The gray-green leaves are purple underneath and have an aromatic scent.
It is rated to about 20°F, so a hard frost can damage it. It wants deep, regular water year-round, so it is not a plant for a no-water corner.
- Screen row8 ft apart
- Single shrub or small tree12 ft apart
Water deeply and regularly through the year, and let the soil dry a little between soaks. It handles some drought once rooted, but steady water keeps it full.
Do the main pruning in late winter, once the hard frosts are past. Cut back any frost damage then, raise the canopy for a tree form, or head it back to keep it smaller.
It is rated to about 20°F. On a frost night, drape frost cloth or a sheet to the ground, never plastic, and take it off in the morning.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
What is Arabian Lilac?
Arabian Lilac is Vitex trifolia, a large shrub in the same family as Chaste Tree. It is not a true lilac. The leaves are gray-green on top and purple underneath.
How big does Arabian Lilac get?
Most nurseries list it at about 10 to 15 feet tall and wide, and it can reach 15 to 20 feet over time. Prune it in late winter to keep it smaller.
How fast does Arabian Lilac grow?
It grows fast, and faster with more water. Give it room, or prune it in late winter to keep it smaller.
How far apart should I plant Arabian Lilac?
Plant it about 8 feet apart for a screen row and about 12 feet apart as a single shrub or small tree, center to center.
When does Arabian Lilac bloom?
It blooms in late spring and summer with spikes of fragrant lavender-purple flowers. Small dark berries follow the flowers.
Does Arabian Lilac attract bees and butterflies?
Yes. Bees and butterflies visit the flower spikes from late spring through summer.
Can I grow Arabian Lilac as a tree?
Yes. Raise the canopy by removing the lower branches over time, and it becomes a small multi-trunk tree. Do the pruning in late winter, once the hard frosts are past.
How often should I water Arabian Lilac?
Give it deep, regular soaks year-round and let the soil dry a little between them. It handles some drought once rooted, but it looks best with steady water.
Does Arabian Lilac lose its leaves in winter?
It keeps some of its leaves in winter, so it is not fully bare like Chaste Tree.
How cold hardy is Arabian Lilac?
It is rated to about 20°F. Cover it with frost cloth on the coldest nights, and cut back any frost damage in late winter.
What is the difference between Arabian Lilac and Chaste Tree?
Both are Vitex with lavender summer flower spikes. Chaste Tree drops its leaves in winter and takes much harder cold. Arabian Lilac keeps some leaves, has purple-backed leaves and is more tender to frost.
Arabian Lilac for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Arabian Lilac, Vitex trifolia, is a large shrub grown for its gray-green leaves with purple undersides and its lavender summer flower spikes. It grows fast and handles desert heat. This page covers its size, spacing, bloom, watering, pruning into a tree, cold and how it compares with Chaste Tree.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
How big does Arabian Lilac get in Phoenix?
Most nurseries list it at about 10 to 15 feet tall and wide. It can reach 15 to 20 feet over time, and late winter pruning keeps it smaller.
When does Arabian Lilac bloom in Arizona?
It blooms in late spring and summer with spikes of fragrant lavender-purple flowers. Bees and butterflies visit them.
How far apart do you plant Arabian Lilac?
Plant it about 8 feet apart for a screen row. Give a single shrub or small tree about 12 feet.
Is Arabian Lilac a good privacy screen?
Yes, as a tall, informal screen. It grows fast to about 10 to 15 feet tall and wide, and it keeps some of its leaves in winter.
How do you prune Arabian Lilac into a tree?
Remove the lower branches over time to raise the canopy into a small multi-trunk tree. Do the main pruning in late winter, once the hard frosts are past.
How often do you water Arabian Lilac?
Give it deep, regular soaks year-round and let the soil dry a little between them. It looks best with steady water.
Arabian Lilac vs Chaste Tree
Both are Vitex with lavender summer flower spikes. Chaste Tree drops its leaves in winter and takes harder cold. Arabian Lilac has purple-backed leaves and is more tender to frost.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.