With cannabis-style palmate foliage and a virtuous history of helping both European monks and Demeter-devoted Greek women remain chaste, this woody Verbena relative is anything but modest. Late in the spring, young downy wood and numerous branching stems forge a broad swath clothed in 5-fingered, lance-like leaflets brightened by silver-felted undersides. Beat-the-heat colors distinguish the refreshing summer display as upright and spiky, nearly foot-long panicles of dense, lilac blue tubular flowers extend out from a stout rounded shrub or small tree. The aromatic, easy-to-grow Chaste Tree is a deciduous, sun-loving Mediterranean native whose stature depends on how severe the winters are or how far back its been trimmed. Enticing to hummingbirds and gardeners alike, it relishes well-drained soil and a hard cut in early spring, endures some drought once established and bestows a restful grace note to the mixed border.

Blooms August–September

Size: 8' 0" – 12' 0" high x 8' 0" – 12' 0" wide.

Hardy to zone 6.