Chaste Trees. Vitex agnus - castus, Verbena Family ( Verbenaceae ), Chaste Tree. Also Called: Monk's Pepper, Vitex, Chasteberry, Abraham's Balm. We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on this page. We share images and information with Wikipedia. Vitex agnus-castus, is a native of the Mediterranean region. A large irregular shrub or multistemmed deciduous tree, sometimes single stemmed. The Chaste Tree name or Monk's Pepper, comes from the fact that when used as tea it reduces sexual desire. Modern studies show that some of the compounds in the leaves inhibit the production of male hormones. Considered pool friendly. Also considered butterfly friendly. Smells Great! Most flower types are purple but there are other colors that are a light purple - pink. Quick Notes: Height: Up to about 10 - 25 feet tall, spread 10 to 25 feet. Trunk: 9 to 10 inches in diameter. An attractive rough trunk; multi stemmed deciduous tree, sometimes single stemmed. Flowers: On purple spikes 7 to about 12 inches long, drooping from terminal portions of branches, appearing in the late spring and early summer. Blooming Time: April to June. Seeds: Small hard round seed, smells like pepper, dark purple when ripe. Can hurt if stepped on barefoot. Leaves: The leaves are palmately compound; with an odd number of linear leaflets (usually 5); dark green above, lighter underneath. Found: Native to Mediterranean region. Naturalized worldwide. The USDA claims it is native of the USA (AL, AR, AZ, CA, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, NM, OK, OR, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA), USA+ (PR, VI). Elevation: 0 to 5,699 feet. Hardiness: USDA Zone 5b: to -26.1 �C (-15 �F) USDA Zone 6a: to -23.3 �C (-10 �F) USDA Zone 6b: to -20.5 �C (-5 �F) USDA Zone 7a: to -17.7 �C (0 �F) USDA Zone 7b: to -14.9 �C (5 �F) USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 �C (10 �F) USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 �C (15 �F) USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 �C (20 �F) USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 �C (25 �F) USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 �C (30 �F) USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 �C (35 �F) USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 �C (40 �F) Soil pH requirements: 5.6 to 6.0 (acidic) 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline) 7.9 to 8.5 (alkaline) Sun Exposure: Full Sun Habitat: Dry, well-drained soils; drought tolerant. Miscellaneous: Photos Taken May 15, 2006. At Arrowhead Ranch, Glendale, Arizona. A low water use landscaping plant in the Phoenix and Tucson areas.