Vitex 'Montrose Purple': The Texas Lilac with Deep Purple Spikes

• 

• Family:	Lamiaceae (lay-mee-AY-see-ee) (Info)
  Genus:	Vitex (VY-teks) (Info)
  Species:	agnus-castus (AG-nus KAS-tus) (Info)
  Cultivar:	Montrose Purple
  Synonym:	Agnus-castus robusta
  Synonym:	Agnus-castus vulgaris
  Synonym:	Vitex agnus
  Synonym:	Vitex hybrida
  Synonym:	Vitex integra

Overview

Vitex 'Montrose Purple' (Vitex agnus-castus 'Montrose Purple'), often called **Texas Lilac** or **Chaste Tree**, is a superior cultivar selected at the Montrose Nursery in Texas for its **exceptionally long, deep purple flower spikes, vigorous growth, and heat tolerance**. It transforms the species from a sprawling shrub into a show-stopping, small multi-trunked tree or large shrub for hot, dry climates.

Flowers & Bloom Season

From **early summer to frost**, it produces **dense, terminal panicles (8–12+ inches long) of fragrant, deep violet-purple flowers**—significantly longer and darker than the species. The bloom is continuous with deadheading. The fragrance is sweet, herbal, slightly peppery. Butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds flock to it.

Foliage, Form & "Chaste" History

Leaves are **palmately compound (5–7 leaflets), aromatic, gray-green**—reminiscent of cannabis but unrelated. The plant grows **10–15 feet tall and wide** (can be trained as a small tree), with a spreading, vase-shaped habit. The name "Chaste Tree" derives from ancient Greek use of the seeds as an anaphrodisiac (monk's pepper).

Culture & Toughness

**USDA Zones 6–9 (dieback in Zone 6, resprouts).** **Full sun; thrives in heat, drought, poor soil, and alkaline conditions.** **Well-drained soil essential** (rots in wet clay). Cut back hard in late winter (blooms on new wood). Deer resistant. A **superstar for xeric, hot-summer landscapes**: long bloom, low water, high wildlife value, deep color.