Texas Lilac Vitex Tree

Texas Lilac Vitex Tree Texas A&M Superstar

The top-performing and most awarded Vitex for Texas is ‘Shoal Creek’, thanks to its combination of disease resistance, heavy bloom production, and adaptability. It is the only one with Texas Superstar® status, a strong endorsement based on statewide trials.

Blooming companions read more here: June Perennials.

Year two for this beautiful Vitex.

Texas Lilac Vitex Tree Texas A&M Superstar. These Vitex trees and still sending out small blooms in August.

Vitex just after blooming allowed to grow to mature trees. See Woman’s Garden Dallas Arboretum for more.

Texas Lilac Vitex Tree

The Texas Lilac Vitex Tree blooms in late May and into June. This tree was developed by Texas A&M. The Vitex Tree is heat, drought and pest tolerant. ‘Texas Lilac’ is a designation for several recommended cultivars including ‘Montrose Purple,’ ‘LeCompte,’ and ‘Shoal Creek,’ all of which are considered Texas Superstars^TM.

Exposure: Full sun; partial sun

Size: Height 10-15 feet tall, up to 15 feet wide

Bloom Time: May till frost.

Understanding which perennials work with the Vitex tree will help you build a garden that returns year after year. You can cut your Vitex Tree down each year and it will return as a shrub or you can let it grow into a tree. See which perennials bloom with the Vitex Tree at June Perennials.

Cut your Vitex back each year and it will return as a shrub or let it grow into a solid tree.

June will be peak blooming time for Vitex trees.

Highland Park Park Nandina and Vitex Tree

The versatility of the Vitex tree can be seen when using it as just another complimentary plant, really neither shrub nor tree, just a beautiful, almost sculptured blooming plant. With so many native Texas plants I find that’s the best way to consider them, just living pieces of structured art in the landscape.

This Vitex tree is only three years old. These are fast growing plants.

1. ‘Shoal Creek’ Vitex

Description: This is the most popular cultivar in Texas, known for deep violet-blue flower spikes, vigorous growth, and superior heat and mildew resistance.
Size: Typically grows 10–15 feet tall and wide
Award/Recognition: Designated a Texas Superstar® plant by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension for its outstanding performance in tough Texas conditions.
Best Use: Small tree or large flowering shrub for hot, dry landscapes

2. ‘Montrose Purple’

Description: Selected for its sterility—meaning it won’t reseed or spread—and for its rich purple flowers.
Size: Grows to about 10 feet tall and wide, slightly more compact than ‘Shoal Creek’
Award/Recognition: Not a Texas Superstar, but valued in botanic gardens and nurseries for reduced maintenance
Best Use: Landscapes where reseeding is a concern

3. ‘LeCompte’ (also called ‘Compacta’ or ‘LeCompte Compact’)

Description: A compact form of Vitex with lavender flowers and a tighter growth habit.
Size: Stays under 8 feet tall, good for small yards or as a large shrub
Award/Recognition: No formal award, but widely recommended in urban or confined spaces
Best Use: Small yards, borders, foundation planting

**4. White Vitex (Vitex agnus-castus ‘Alba’)**

Description: Offers pure white flower spikes, a rare alternative to the usual purples and lavenders
Size: Can grow 10–15 feet tall and wide
Award/Recognition: No major awards, but occasionally used in formal or Mediterranean-style landscapes for color contrast
Best Use: Accent plant in white or light-color garden designs

This pair of Vitex shrubs anchor as corner plantings.

Vitex Tree a Native Texas Tree / Shrub

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Blooms just as oak leaf hydrangeas fade and French Hydrangeas begin.

Vitex tree with Mealy Blue Sage and Lantana in the foreground. These are great companion plants with echoing purple spike shaped blooms. Lantana is also a great compliment planting with Vitex. You can read more about perennials that bloom with the Vitex here.

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The Vitex Tree blooms before most crape myrtles. Here it is seen with the first of the Crape Myrtle Bloomers, Bashan’s Party Pink Crape Myrtle.

You know this tree will work in Texas as a trademarked Superstar. It begins blooming heavily Memorial Day and then blooms sporadically throughout the summer and fall. Vitex is coarse growing and will become a small tree quickly. Flowering is more spectacular if the plant is pruned heavily after bloom.

The Vitex Tree above accents a perennial flower bed that includes Purple Heart,, Lantana, Purple Cone flower, and Salvia Gregii. See which perennials bloom with the Vitex Tree at June Perennials.

Vitex Tree on Side. Park truck in alley.

Vitex Tree year, two.

Depending on weather plants will bloom again within six weeks of seed pod/stalk removal. It is best to remove the seed pods before they harden-the sooner after the bloom petals drop, the better, and the faster the plant will come back into bloom. You may need to purchase a branch trimmer to get to the top blooms. This is why you cut the tree down every year so it does not get too tall and you can remove the seed pods.

The Vitex blooms before most crape myrtles. Only Bashan’s Party Pink Crape Myrtle blooms as early as the Vitex.

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Russian Sage blooms with the Vitex Tree. See more plants that bloom with the Vitex Tree Here “June Perennials.”

Russian Sage Good Blooming Companion

Crape Myrtles have a longer blooming season. You can force reblooming of the Vitex by trimming back the faded blooms. If you completely cut your Vitex back in the autumn six feet of growth will return the first year.

Texas Lilac Vitex Tree June Bloomer in Texas

Mealy blue sage and purple cone flowers bloom with the Vitex Tree.

This species, the Texas Lilac Vitex Tree, was created by Texas A&M from Mexican Lavender or the Chaste Tree. It has longer spikes, is drought tolerant, fast growing and a wonderful addition to your garden.

The Vitex Tree in yellow. I am not familiar with this shrub but it took my breath away. It blooms AFTER the purple Vitex tree and might be a great companion tree / shrub.

Salvia Gregii bloom with the Vitex Tree.

Yuccas and Russian Sage bloom with Vitex Tree.

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Texas Vitex Tree with Mealy Blue Sage – Good Companions

Link Here for Companion Perennials to bloom with you Lilac Vitex Tree! More on Landscaping Here

Texas A&M did it again. Texas A&M developed a Super Vitex with long spiked flowers and it is known officially as the Texas Lilac Vitex; this is a rapid grower reaching 12 to 15 feet and in some instances in rich soils as much as 25 feet. More on Landscaping with the Texas Vitex Here

Vitex Tree Just Before Bloom Period

Other June Flowering Trees

Desert Willow Tree

The Chiltalpa is a cross between the Desert Willow and the Catalpa tree. This is a native Texas plant. The Desert willow is beautiful, but take care, the seed pods are poisonous.

Desert Willow

Rose of Sharon Althea Tree

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Hardy Hisbiscus – Companion Bloomer. This shrub can also be trained into a tree. It comes in white, purple and pink shades.

Read more about Altheas here. Altheas bloom in August, when most Texas plants are spent and perennials are going to seed. This is a great choice to pick up the blooming slack once the Vitex tree stops bloom.

Rose of Sharon Althea Tree June Bloomer in Texas

Rose of Sharon Althea Tree. Often the multi-trunked Rose of Sharon is pruned into a tree. It is beautiful as either a tree or a shrub, providing blooms in July and August in Texas.

Pink Cloud Chitalpa

Chitalpa a cross between Desert Willlow and Catalpa. No messy pods.

Texas Lilac Vitex Tree (Vitex agnus-castus), widely used in Texas landscapes for its beauty, drought tolerance, and pollinator-friendly blooms:

Texas Lilac Vitex (Vitex agnus-castus)
The Texas Lilac Vitex is a deciduous flowering tree or large shrub prized for its spiky clusters of fragrant lavender-purple blooms and its resilience in heat and drought. Often referred to as the “Texas Lilac” due to its similar appearance to traditional lilacs, this tree thrives in warm southern climates where true lilacs struggle.

Botanical Name: Vitex agnus-castus
Common Names: Texas Lilac, Chaste Tree, Monk’s Pepper
Foliage: Aromatic, palmate leaves resembling marijuana leaves in shape
Flowers: Cone-shaped spikes of purple, lavender, or pink flowers from late spring through summer
Size: Typically 10–15 feet tall and wide, but can be pruned as a multi-trunked shrub or a single-trunk tree

Awards and Recognition
Texas Superstar® Plant

Designated by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Selected for outstanding performance in Texas landscapes
Recognized for long bloom season, drought tolerance, and attractiveness to pollinators
Trialed successfully across multiple regions of Texas

Performance in Texas
The Texas Lilac Vitex performs exceptionally well across all regions of Texas, including North, Central, South, and West Texas. It thrives in hot, dry environments and tolerates a wide range of soils, including clay and rocky types, as long as drainage is adequate.

This tree blooms heavily in late spring to early summer and can rebloom in late summer if pruned after the first flush. It is heat-tolerant, deer-resistant, and provides critical support to pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Care Guidelines

Soil: Adaptable but prefers well-drained soil
Watering: Drought-tolerant once established; deep watering during prolonged dry spells promotes health
Light: Full sun for best flower production
Pruning: Prune in late winter to shape or control size; deadhead after blooming to encourage rebloom
Spacing: Allow sufficient room for its natural canopy spread, especially when planted as a tree

Landscape and Design Use
Vitex trees are ideal for xeriscaping, wildlife gardens, accent plantings, or as specimen trees. They offer vertical interest and color in drought-tolerant landscapes and pair well with ornamental grasses, salvia, lantana, and other sun-loving Texas natives.

Additional Notes
Although non-native, Vitex is not currently considered invasive in Texas and is widely accepted as a sustainable landscape option. The tree leafs out in spring and typically drops leaves in early winter. While it can tolerate brief cold snaps, in far North Texas it may die back to the ground in extreme winters but usually regrows.

Q1: Is Vitex a good choice for Texas landscapes?

A: Yes. Vitex, also known as chaste tree, is an excellent choice for Texas. It’s highly heat-tolerant, drought-resistant once established, and thrives in a wide range of soils—making it ideal for low-maintenance, water-wise gardens across most of the state.

Q2: Should I grow Vitex as a tree or a shrub?

A: That depends on your design goals.

As a tree: Prune lower limbs to develop a single or multi-trunk form. This works well as a small ornamental tree (10–15 feet tall) for focal points or street planting.
As a shrub: Allow it to grow naturally with multiple stems. This creates a dense form for privacy screens or informal hedges.

Q3: When does Vitex bloom in Texas?

A: Vitex typically blooms in late spring through summer, often with purple, lavender, or white flower spikes. With proper pruning after the first bloom cycle, it may rebloom in late summer or early fall.

Q4: Does Vitex need a lot of water or fertilizer?

A: No. Once established, Vitex is drought-tolerant and performs well with minimal supplemental water. Fertilizing is rarely needed—too much can actually reduce blooming.

Q5: Are there any drawbacks to growing Vitex in Texas?

A: Vitex can reseed and become mildly invasive in unmanaged areas, especially in Central and South Texas. Also, it can develop an open or leggy shape without regular pruning. Use improved or sterile varieties like ‘Shoal Creek’ if reseeding is a concern.

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