Vitex Summertime Blues™
This new hybrid vitex breaks all of the rules! Selected from a batch of vitex crosses made by former V.P. of Horticulture, Kris Jarantoski of the Chicago Botanic Garden, Summertime Blues has a rounded habit with exceptionally large individual flowers held on black stems. Just imagine a vitex with improved hardiness, that flowers most of the summer and can be used as a shrub…and you have Summertime Blues! Undisputedly an improved selection, Summertime Blues offers multi-season interest for gardens from California to Chicago and even in the deep south. Extreme drought tolerance, a more manageable size, and sterile flowers make the perfect combination for this work horse, easy-to-care-for shrub.
Note: This plant has produced no viable seed for the past 15 years and therefore should not have the invasive tendencies of Vitex rotundifolia, which is one of its parents.
Please note: We don't sell plants. Asking your local retailer or googling the plant name is the easiest way to find someone selling our plants.
Please note: Download hi-res photos from the photo gallery at the bottom of the page.
Who Am I?
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Common Name
Summertime Blues chaste tree -
Botanical Name
Vitex agnus castus x rotundifolia ‘Helen Froehlich’ PP31660 -
Type
Shrub -
Bloom Time
Summer -
Bloom Color
Lavender
Cultural Details
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Bloom Time
Summer -
Size
4-5' tall by 3-4' wide in the north, 8-10' tall by 5' wide in the south -
Hardiness Zone
5-9 -
Light
Full sun -
Soil
Average garden soil -
Moisture
Moist, but well-drained -
Disease & Pests
None known -
Landscape Use
Borders, mass plantings, specimens, urban spaces -
Propagation
Cuttings