Shoal Creek
Vitex agnus-castus
Height: 10-15'
Spread: 10-15'
Shape: Shrub.
Foliage: Green.
Fall Color: Evergreen.
Hardiness: 6-11
Comments: For indigo blossoms, butterfly habitat and deer resistance,
few plants beat Vitex, an adapted bloomer recently added to the Texas Superstar
plant program. Vitex is also known as Shoal Creek or the Chaste tree. A native
of China and India, it naturalized throughout the U.S., as long ago as 1670. For
people living in the warmer parts of the South, the 'Lilac Chaste Tree' has been
the shrub of choice to mimic the much beloved lilacs that are restricted to cooler
regions. It grows best in full sun and in a location that drains well--loves the
heat, and is so tough that even the Texas Department of Transportation plants it
on highway medians. Vitex is a spectacular butterfly-attracting plant, hummingbirds
love it, and it's deer-resistant, although bucks will brush their antlers on its
branches if the plant is allowed to grow large.