Chaste tree

Seeds: 30  / Botanical name: Vitex agnus-castus

It helps with vows of chastity and also with mood swings

In the garden, chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) is a popular source of nectar for bees and a lovely late bloomer that brings color to the garden almost into autumn. It grows up to three meters tall and equally wide outdoors. Not only are the flowers fragrant, but the palmate, lance-shaped leaves, arranged in groups of five to seven, also exude an intense peppery-spicy aroma. In autumn, the foliage turns yellow. The German name derives from the pepper-like shape of the berries and their use in medieval monasteries, where monks and nuns took them to maintain their vows of chastity and suppress carnal desires. In Italy, the custom of strewing the paths to monasteries with Vitex blossoms for the novices persists. In wine-growing regions around the Mediterranean, one can still often find wine baskets woven from very flexible and durable Vitex canes.

Natural habitat: The chaste tree, also known as monk's pepper, naturally occurs in Southern Europe, especially in the Mediterranean region and in Western Asia.