Purple Chaste Tree

Purple Chaste Tree (Vitex trifolia 'Purpurea') is grown for its foliage rather than its flowers. The leaves are grey green above and washed purple beneath, so the whole shrub changes tone every time the wind moves through it. It reaches about 3m tall and 2.5m wide, grows quickly, and takes heat, drought and salt wind without complaint.

Why you'll love it

• Colour without flowers. The purple undersides and tinted new growth give year round tone a green hedge cannot.
• It closes a gap quickly. Fast growing to around 3m, so a bare fence line is screened in two seasons rather than four.
• Coastal and dry tolerant. Salt, heat and drought are all handled once established, which suits exposed beachside and inland gardens.
• Purple flower spikes in summer. Small spires of purple flowers sit above the foliage in the warm months and bring in bees and butterflies.

Where it works best

Screening and hedging. Plant 1m apart in a single row for a dense screen. At that spacing it closes over within two seasons.

Coastal gardens. Salt tolerance makes it useful on a front line block where most coloured foliage shrubs burn.

Feature planting. Left unpruned it makes a loose, airy shrub that works well as a contrast among green foliage.

Growing purple chaste tree in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun brings out the purple tones. In shade the foliage stays greener and the habit opens up. It belongs in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, and takes light frost only, so cold inland and southern districts will see dieback each winter.

Soil. Not fussy about soil type, but it wants drainage. Sandy and gravelly ground suits it well, and on heavy clay a raised bed with compost through it makes the difference.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then it needs very little. A general purpose fertiliser in early spring is enough. Too much feeding gives soft growth and less colour.

Pruning. This plant likes being cut. Trim two or three times through the warm season for a formal hedge, or cut back hard in late winter to reset an overgrown shrub.

What to expect when it arrives

Three sizes are grown: tube stock, 140mm pots in packs of ten, and 200mm pots in packs of six. Tubes are the value option for a long hedge run and catch up fast. The 140mm and 200mm plants are more established and give a screen a season's head start.

Young plants may arrive looking sparse, which is normal for a fast growing shrub that is pruned in production. Tip prune from planting to build density. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to create a hedge and keep it sharp
• Compare screening plants from 2m to 4m
• Plants for coastal and salt exposed gardens
• More plants that attract bees and butterflies

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

One metre apart in a single row. Any closer and the plants compete for water without closing the screen any sooner. Tip prune from the day they go in to keep the base furnished.

Can I keep it lower than 3m?

Yes, easily. Two or three trims through the warm season hold it at 1.5m to 2m, and it shoots readily from old wood, so a hard cut back in late winter is safe.

Will it survive frost?

Light frost only. In a cold garden expect the soft growth to burn each winter and the plant to reshoot in spring, which makes it unreliable as a screen outside warm districts.

How purple is the foliage really?

The upper leaf surface is grey green and the underside is purple, so the effect is a shimmer rather than a solid block of colour. New growth carries the strongest purple, which is why regular pruning improves it.