Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Chaste Tree
Chaste Tree is a large shrub or small tree covered in fragrant spikes of lavender flowers from early summer, loved by bees and butterflies. Its spicy-scented, hand-shaped leaves fill out a rounded canopy about 20 to 25 feet tall. It thrives in Valley heat and blooms best in full sun. It drops its leaves in winter and leafs out again in spring.
Best for: summer flower color on a small tree, bees and butterflies, and summer shade that lets winter sun through.
Fragrant spikes of lavender flowers cover it from late May or June in the Valley. Some plants bloom pink or white.
The flowers draw bees, butterflies and hummingbirds through the summer. Plant it where you can watch from a patio.
Trained to a trunk, it becomes a small shade tree about 20 to 25 feet tall with an equal spread. Space plants 8 to 12 feet apart for a row.
It is bare in winter, and dry seed capsules hang on the branches. Seeds that drop on walks can be slippery, so keep it back from paths.
- Row or screen8 ft apart
- Group planting8-12 ft apart
For the first two weeks, water a new tree every 1 to 2 days in summer, or every 3 to 4 days in cooler months. Ease to about weekly by the second month, and keep up deep, regular soaks for its first 3 years. Once rooted, soak it at the drip line every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 2 to 4 weeks in winter. Regular deep water April through October gives the best bloom. More water means faster growth but fewer flowers.
Take off the nursery stake at planting, and stake only if the tree cannot stand on its own or sits in a windy spot. Use two stakes outside the root ball and soft, wide ties that let the trunk sway. Remove them after about a year.
Prune it while it is bare, from December to early March. Never take more than a quarter of the canopy in a year, and trim off spent flower spikes in summer to keep it tidy.
Dry seed capsules hang on in winter and fall onto walks, where they can be slippery. Plant it back from paths and sweep in fall.
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.
When does chaste tree bloom in Phoenix?
It blooms from late May into summer. Remove spent flower spikes to keep it tidy.
How big does chaste tree get?
It grows about 20 to 25 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide. Space plants 8 to 12 feet apart.
Does it attract bees and butterflies?
Yes. The fragrant flowers draw bees, butterflies and hummingbirds all summer.
How much water does it need?
Give it regular deep water from April through October and little in winter. Too much water gives faster growth but fewer flowers.
When should I prune it?
Prune it while it is dormant, from December to early March. It can be trained as a shrub or a small tree.
Does it lose its leaves?
Yes, it drops its leaves in winter and leafs out in spring. The dry seed capsules hang on through winter.
How cold hardy is it?
It is hardy to about -10°F, so cold is not a concern anywhere in the Valley.
Is it messy?
It drops leaves in fall and seeds that can be slippery on walks. Keep it back from paths and patios.
Chaste Tree for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Chaste Tree, or vitex, is a small summer-flowering tree that thrives in Valley heat. Below: size, bloom time, water, pruning, cold and what to expect in winter.
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.
When does chaste tree bloom in Arizona?
It blooms from late May into summer, with fragrant lavender spikes. Some plants bloom pink or white.
Chaste tree size
As a small tree it grows about 20 to 25 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide.
Vitex for pollinators
The flowers draw bees, butterflies and hummingbirds all summer.
When to prune chaste tree
Prune while it is dormant, from December to early March.
Watering chaste tree in the desert
Give it regular deep water from April through October, and little in winter. Extra water means fewer flowers.
Is chaste tree cold hardy?
Yes, it is hardy to about -10°F, so it grows at every Valley elevation.
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.