Vitex agnus-castus Queen Bee - Chaste Tree

The Vitex agnus-castus Queen Bee is a selection of a compact and particularly floriferous chaste tree that excels in sunny, dry gardens. It is a deciduous bush with a naturally rounded habit, whose lavender-mauve flower spikes renew themselves from mid-June until the end of summer. It can be integrated into a low hedge or placed at the centre of a dry garden bed. Very melliferous, it provides a source of nectar appreciated in late summer. In open ground, it establishes quickly and requires little maintenance.

The chaste tree belongs to the Lamiaceae family. The botanical species Vitex agnus‑castus is native to Mediterranean regions and Western Asia, found near watercourses, on pebbles and sunny edges of coastal areas. The genus name Vitex comes from the Latin vireo/vieo ("to weave"), referring to the ancient use of its branches in basketry; the epithet agnus‑castus carries the idea of "chastity" associated with the fruits, known as "monk's pepper".
Queen Bee 'Bailtexthree' originates from the Bailey Innovations breeding programme (First Editions®). It is distinguished by naturally lower growth, excellent repeat flowering, and better tolerance to stress (heat, drought, cold) compared to more vigorous selections.
Its habit is bushy, very dense, and distinctly rounded; its growth is rapid in the first few years. In open ground, it reaches 1.50 to 1.80 m in height with a spread of 2 to 2.70 m at ripeness, that is, within 5 to 7 years; at 10 years, the plant stabilises around these dimensions. Pot cultivation is possible but not well-suited due to its spread; in open ground, this bush does not produce suckers.
The first wave of flowers occurs from mid‑June to July, followed by summer flushes until September. The inflorescences are upright or slightly arching spikes 15 to 25 cm long, composed of small tubular lavender to mauve-blue flowers, pleasantly aromatic. The fruits are small grey-brown drupes, about 3–4 mm in diameter, resembling peppercorns. The foliage is deciduous and aromatic, palmate, divided into 5 to 7 lanceolate leaflets, grey‑green with a lighter underside; it contributes to the plant's light appearance. The root system is quite deep, well-adapted to dry summers.

Plant this Queen Bee chaste tree in full sun, in well-drained soil, even if calcareous. This bush withstands drought well once deeply rooted. After a cold winter, the plant regrows from the base in spring and reflowers on the current year's wood. You can use it in a flowering hedge, including in coastal areas. For this use, combine it with Tamarisks, hardy oleanders, ceanothus 'Concha' and Mexican orange blossoms (Choisya ternata) for example. It can also be planted in groups of 3 on a large, dry slope; halfway up the slope, you could plant Cistus pulverulentus ‘Sunset’ and creeping rosemary.

The "monk's pepper", derived from the chaste tree's drupes, was used as a condiment and in traditional Mediterranean herbalism; the species was often planted near dwellings and apiaries for its melliferous value in late summer.