Up and down IH-35 between Round Rock and Georgetown, there are beautiful,
flowering shrubs that have huge, long, purple, flowering spikes.

What are they and how fast do they grow?

--
Elizabeth

On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 21:38:46 -0500, "Elizabeth"
opined:

Up and down IH-35 between Round Rock and Georgetown, there are beautiful,
flowering shrubs that have huge, long, purple, flowering spikes.

What are they and how fast do they grow?

They are Vitex and I have one which is about 12 feet tall. On roadsides they do
not get as large. In a cultivated garden, it can be limbed up into a small
tree, about 18 feet at climax growth...which takes about a dozen years or so.
Mine is magnificent this year.

Victoria


Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for a friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html

So is mine. And it's gotten to about 15 feet in just a couple of years -
from a 1 gallon shrub. It was the best investment I ever made.
"escapee" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 21:38:46 -0500, "Elizabeth"
opined:

Up and down IH-35 between Round Rock and Georgetown, there are beautiful,
flowering shrubs that have huge, long, purple, flowering spikes.

What are they and how fast do they grow?

They are Vitex and I have one which is about 12 feet tall. On roadsides
they do
not get as large. In a cultivated garden, it can be limbed up into a
small
tree, about 18 feet at climax growth...which takes about a dozen years or
so.
Mine is magnificent this year.

Victoria


Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for a friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html

Is it taller than your house?


On Wed, 02 Jun 2004 03:24:46 GMT, "L&S" opined:

So is mine. And it's gotten to about 15 feet in just a couple of years -
from a 1 gallon shrub. It was the best investment I ever made.
"escapee" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 21:38:46 -0500, "Elizabeth"
opined:

Up and down IH-35 between Round Rock and Georgetown, there are beautiful,
flowering shrubs that have huge, long, purple, flowering spikes.

What are they and how fast do they grow?

They are Vitex and I have one which is about 12 feet tall. On roadsides
they do
not get as large. In a cultivated garden, it can be limbed up into a
small
tree, about 18 feet at climax growth...which takes about a dozen years or
so.
Mine is magnificent this year.

Victoria


Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for a friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html




Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for a friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html

Not yet - but we have a two story house behind us - and it reaches the
bottom of their roof already. It's competing with the pecan tree that my
husband planted near it. It may have been in the ground closer to 4 years
now that I think about it. It is still the most beautiful thing in the area
this time of year.
"escapee" wrote in message
...
Is it taller than your house?


On Wed, 02 Jun 2004 03:24:46 GMT, "L&S"
opined:

So is mine. And it's gotten to about 15 feet in just a couple of years -
from a 1 gallon shrub. It was the best investment I ever made.
"escapee" wrote in message
.. .
On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 21:38:46 -0500, "Elizabeth"
opined:

Up and down IH-35 between Round Rock and Georgetown, there are
beautiful,
flowering shrubs that have huge, long, purple, flowering spikes.

What are they and how fast do they grow?

They are Vitex and I have one which is about 12 feet tall. On
roadsides
they do
not get as large. In a cultivated garden, it can be limbed up into a
small
tree, about 18 feet at climax growth...which takes about a dozen years
or
so.
Mine is magnificent this year.

Victoria


Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for a friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html




Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for a friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html

In article , wrote:
On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 21:38:46 -0500, "Elizabeth"
opined:

Up and down IH-35 between Round Rock and Georgetown, there are beautiful,
flowering shrubs that have huge, long, purple, flowering spikes.

What are they and how fast do they grow?

They are Vitex and I have one which is about 12 feet tall. On roadsides they
do
not get as large. In a cultivated garden, it can be limbed up into a small
tree, about 18 feet at climax growth...which takes about a dozen years or so.
Mine is magnificent this year.

How much (if any) protection do they need from the deer when the are
small?


scott

On Wed, 02 Jun 2004 14:16:08 GMT, c (Scott Harper)
opined:

In article , wrote:
On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 21:38:46 -0500, "Elizabeth"
opined:

Up and down IH-35 between Round Rock and Georgetown, there are beautiful,
flowering shrubs that have huge, long, purple, flowering spikes.

What are they and how fast do they grow?

They are Vitex and I have one which is about 12 feet tall. On roadsides they
do
not get as large. In a cultivated garden, it can be limbed up into a small
tree, about 18 feet at climax growth...which takes about a dozen years or so.
Mine is magnificent this year.

How much (if any) protection do they need from the deer when the are
small?


scott

It's not listed as deer resistant. It is somewhat aromatic, so you may have
luck, but I'd say it is in need of protection till it is at least 4 or 5 years
old.


Need a good, cheap, knowledge expanding present for a friend?
http://www.animaux.net/stern/present.html

How much (if any) protection do they need from the deer when the are
small

Very little if any. I started a number of chaste trees from cuttings in my
yard several years ago and I've never noticed that the deer bothered them, if
any. They're 6-7 feet tall now.


Gary Brady
Austin, TX

Some interesting deer resistant stuff
(http://www.npsot.org/plant_lists/deer_resistant.html):

CAMOUFLAGE GARDENING
By Patti Simons

DEER-RESISTANT PLANTS
"Plants can only be called deer resistant not =3D deer proof. Some plants=

are quite tasty to deer, others less so. Depending on the density of the
deer population, drought =3D conditions and the availability of other mor=
e
palatable plants some plants are more =3D resistant than others. This lis=
t
is an attempt to classify and define, as a food source for deer, the =3D
desirability of many plants typically found in Central Texas."* =




Camouflage Gardening is simply using plants that =3D contain natural
chemicals and have characteristics that deter deer from wanting to eat
them. A =3D scent barrier is created by using a variety of strongly
aromatic plants, shrubs and herbs throughout the =3D garden. =




Deer rely on their sense of smell to determine what is safe and =3D
desirable to eat. A wide variety of strong odors confuse the deer. The
animal will generally =3D leave the area and go to a landscape where it
can clearly identify what it is eating. =




A Deer-Resistant garden =3D can be created by following four easy steps:



1. Plant list #1 specifies many strongly aromatic plants to use, in =3D
ample numbers, throughout the landscape. Use two plants from list #1 for
every one plant on =3D list #3 or #4. =




2. All plants listed #2, have some or all of the =3D following
characteristics: bitter taste, coarse/tough hairy or prickly leaves
and/or caustic milky/sticky sap. Deer rarely eat =3D these plants. Use
these plants freely throughout the landscape. =




3. Plants in this category reseed prolifically, grow rampantly or =3D
spread aggressively by underground roots. Hidden within an aromatic
garden, =3D these #3 plants rapidly reward the homeowner by ceaselessly
increasing in numbers. =




Trees suffer two types of damage from deer: the foliage will be eaten =3D=

to the browse line (appx. 5-1/2' from the ground), and bucks often fight
with and polish their =3D antlers on resilient saplings, tree trunks unde=
r
3" in diameter, and multi-trunk ornamentals. Until the =3D trees mature,
it is wise to protect them with an evergreen scent barrier or a wire
cage. =




4. Once the perennial and evergreen aromatic plants are used in ample =3D=

numbers, list #4, vertical growers (climbing vines and shrubs) and a
limited number of your =3D favorite deer-desirable in-town plants can be
hidden within the scent barrier. =




CAUTION: Deer will eat almost anything in the =3D Spring. This is the tim=
e
when plants are the most tender and are highest in nutrition. This same
Spring-time/lush =3D growth occurs in new nursery stock and when the
gardener constantly fertilizes plants. It =3D will be necessary to spray
with Cloud Cover or other deer repellant for approximately =3D three (3)
weeks while the plants "harden off" and become less palatable to deer. =




Instead of fertilizing, promote growth and blooms by two easier =3D
methods. Providing very healthy soil, through purchase or amendment,
promotes =3D stronger plants that are more deer-resistant, disease free
and are more prolific producers of foliage =3D or fruit.=3D20 =




Deadheading (removing spent blossoms)encourages the =3D plant to bloom
repeatedly in order to set seed. However, the foliage can toughen up
naturally. =




ASK FOR THESE PLANTS BY PROPER NAME - ACCEPT =3D NO SUBSTITUTES =




=A9 1996 Patti Simons email: =3D =





Elizabeth wrote:
=

Up and down IH-35 between Round Rock and Georgetown, there are beautifu=
l,
flowering shrubs that have huge, long, purple, flowering spikes.
=

What are they and how fast do they grow?
=

--
Elizabeth

-- =

Celestial Habitats by J. Kolenovsky
2003 Honorable Mention Award, Keep Houston Beautiful
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.celestialhabitats.com - business. Quoted by the Ho=
uston
Chronicle Lazy Gardener as 1 of 7 best gardening websites in Houston.
=F4=BF=F4 - http://www.hal-pc.org/~garden/personal.html - personal