Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Shrubs

Vitex trifolia 'Purpurea'

A vigorous, half-hardy evergreen shrub to 2m tall, with grey-green leaves divided into 3 lobes or leaflets; the leaves are light purple beneath. In summer it produces upright spikes of tubular, blue or lilac flowers

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
2 suppliers

Ultimate height

1.5–2.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

10–20 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Lamiaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Potentially harmful: Skin irritant, wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Genus: Vitex are deciduous or evergreen trees and shrubs with palmate leaves and terminal sprays of tubular, two-lipped flowers
Name status: Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Under glass, grow in peat-free, loam-based potting compost in bright, indirect light. Water freely in the growing season and apply a balanced liquid fertiliser monthly, water moderately in winter. Outdoors grow in moist but well-drained, fertile soil in a sunny or lightly shaded position, with the shelter of a warm wall

Propagation

Propagate by seed or semi-ripe cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Patio and container plants
Conservatory and greenhouse
Flower borders and beds
Climber and wall shrubs

Pruning

See pruning group 6

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus in gardens where it is present but insufficient data to determine degree of susceptibility

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.