Lilac chasteberry, Vitex agnes-castus

Have you seen these flowering shrubs around Oklahoma City? Vitex was known to Pliny the Elder in Rome and is from a Mediterranean climate which thrives in OKC, especially against a south wall. They can take the wind and traffic of being close to the street, and rival a buddleia butterfly bush for long beautiful blooms. The five lobed leaf shape can be echoed across the landscape with Japanese maples and cannabis (for licensed patients, up to six plants behind a six foot fence). For contrast, plant with Russian sage and Threadleaf bluestar. Photo taken by Karolyn Chowning in 2021.