Texas Lilac "vitex" tree?

[John]

Hello group..
Have been trying to find a nice tree for my folks yard, something easy to
take care of and might cast some shade on their house. We were at the Depot
the other day and they had the Texas Lilac Vitex on sale so we bought one
and planted it. It's got the prettiest, and most fragrent purple blossoms
on it..Anyone know how fast they grow? We saw one in Austin the other day
and it was huge..Like 30 feet tall..So that will be good..I have read on
line about them but was hoping someone here may have some personal
experience with them...

Thanks!
John

[Gary Brady]

John wrote:
> Hello group..
> Have been trying to find a nice tree for my folks yard, something easy to
> take care of and might cast some shade on their house. We were at the Depot
> the other day and they had the Texas Lilac Vitex on sale so we bought one
> and planted it. It's got the prettiest, and most fragrent purple blossoms
> on it..Anyone know how fast they grow? We saw one in Austin the other day
> and it was huge..Like 30 feet tall..So that will be good..I have read on
> line about them but was hoping someone here may have some personal
> experience with them...
>
> Thanks!
> John


I have a number of these in my yard. I'd say they grow at a moderate
speed. I planted a number of 1gal plants about 10 years ago and they
are now 10-12' tall, very bushy. I have noticed that they grow
considerably faster with constant watering, like drip irrigation. When
the watering stops, they don't seem to be affected except growing
slower. They're easy to start from cuttings, too.

Gary Brady

[Bourne Identity]

This is generally a very old specimen. My vitex is 8 years old and it
is about 10 feet tall, but 20 feet wide. I do what is called "limb it
up" to give it a more tree-like shape. However, if you don't do this,
it will be more a huge bush than tree.

I am sorry to say it is not a good shade tree.

On Mon, 8 Aug 2005 12:25:54 -0500, "John"
> wrote:

>Hello group..
>Have been trying to find a nice tree for my folks yard, something easy to
>take care of and might cast some shade on their house. We were at the Depot
>the other day and they had the Texas Lilac Vitex on sale so we bought one
>and planted it. It's got the prettiest, and most fragrent purple blossoms
>on it..Anyone know how fast they grow? We saw one in Austin the other day
>and it was huge..Like 30 feet tall..So that will be good..I have read on
>line about them but was hoping someone here may have some personal
>experience with them...
>
>Thanks!
>John
>

[Cindy]

Bourne Identity wrote:
> This is generally a very old specimen. My vitex is 8 years old and it
> is about 10 feet tall, but 20 feet wide. I do what is called "limb it
> up" to give it a more tree-like shape. However, if you don't do this,
> it will be more a huge bush than tree.
>
> I am sorry to say it is not a good shade tree.
>

Mine is about the same age and size. I've started trimming the ends of
branches, which become long and pendulous, to keep it in bounds, and need to
remove some watersprouts.
They're not tall enough for shade, and anyway when it gets really hot in
late summer and fall, the leaves start dropping, even if you water a lot.
But in spring, mine is BEAUTIFUL and bright green, and when it blooms in
a flush in spring and then sporadically through the summer, hummingbirds and
bees LOVE it, and so do I!
My son and husband with bad allergies, however, hate it and won't mow
near it because it makes them itch so bad.

Cindy

[Gary Brady]

Cindy wrote:

> Mine is about the same age and size. I've started trimming the ends of
> branches, which become long and pendulous, to keep it in bounds, and need to
> remove some watersprouts.
> They're not tall enough for shade, and anyway when it gets really hot in
> late summer and fall, the leaves start dropping, even if you water a lot.
> But in spring, mine is BEAUTIFUL and bright green, and when it blooms in
> a flush in spring and then sporadically through the summer, hummingbirds and
> bees LOVE it, and so do I!
> My son and husband with bad allergies, however, hate it and won't mow
> near it because it makes them itch so bad.
>
> Cindy


VItex is also deer proof. Crush a leaf and smell it and you'll see why.

Gary Brady

[John]

Thanks everyone,
I saw one in a yard the other day that was probably over 20 feet tall..Was
huge! I found a site on the net which pictured a couple pretty big too but
figured it may end up being a nice big bush..We plan to put some other trees
out there too and good to hear they are deer proof..That is important as
they are out in the Bastrop pines..Lots of deer out there! :-)

Thanks!
John



"Gary Brady" > wrote in message
ink.net...
> Cindy wrote:
>
>> Mine is about the same age and size. I've started trimming the ends
>> of branches, which become long and pendulous, to keep it in bounds, and
>> need to remove some watersprouts.
>> They're not tall enough for shade, and anyway when it gets really hot
>> in late summer and fall, the leaves start dropping, even if you water a
>> lot.
>> But in spring, mine is BEAUTIFUL and bright green, and when it blooms
>> in a flush in spring and then sporadically through the summer,
>> hummingbirds and bees LOVE it, and so do I!
>> My son and husband with bad allergies, however, hate it and won't mow
>> near it because it makes them itch so bad.
>>
>> Cindy
>
>
> VItex is also deer proof. Crush a leaf and smell it and you'll see why.
>
> Gary Brady
>

[Cindy]

John wrote:
> Thanks everyone,
> I saw one in a yard the other day that was probably over 20 feet
> tall..Was huge! I found a site on the net which pictured a couple
> pretty big too but figured it may end up being a nice big bush..We
> plan to put some other trees out there too and good to hear they are
> deer proof..That is important as they are out in the Bastrop
> pines..Lots of deer out there! :-)
> Thanks!
> John

:)
I've also seen vitex in a local nursery here in Spring that have steel-blue
flowers.

Cindy